Sanjay Bangar: Ravindra Jadeja’s batting at No. 7 provides India with strong batting depth

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar has underlined the significance of Ravindra Jadeja’s batting role at No. 7, asserting that India doesn’t require an all-rounder to enhance their batting depth.

India is set to face arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super-4 stage of the 2023 Asia Cup at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on September 10.

In a conversation with Star Sports, Bangar shared his insights on India’s batting strength, particularly emphasizing Jadeja’s contributions as an all-rounder.

Bangar expressed, “I’ve always believed that you need high-quality players who excel in their primary skills. I don’t think India needs to seek an all-rounder. If Jadeja is batting at No. 7, I believe that provides ample batting depth.”

Furthermore, Bangar recommended against replacing Mohammad Shami to bolster batting depth and advocated utilizing Shami’s vast experience in crucial matches.

He explained, “Let’s not compromise on the quality of our bowling. If we do that, we might drop Shami and bring in Shardul Thakur. I wouldn’t opt for that approach, but there’s a possibility that India might consider someone like Shardul Thakur just to strengthen their batting depth.”

Bangar also highlighted the role of Ishan Kishan, a wicket-keeper batter, and commended his impressive performance under immense pressure. Kishan’s outstanding innings of 82 runs against Pakistan has solidified his position in the middle-order, potentially making him a preferred choice over K.L. Rahul.

“There’s a good chance he’ll play the first World Cup game as well because it’s impossible to ignore him after the kind of innings he played. He has seized the opportunity with both hands, and KL Rahul returning from an injury is always a bit of a risk,” concluded Bangar.

-IANS