Sunil Gavaskar hails Indian squad for ICC World T20, Asia Cup as 'good team'

New Delhi: Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar on Friday hailed India's squad for Twenty20 World Cup and Asia Cup as a 'good team'.

Indian selectors more or less retained the same squad which notched up a rare bilateral series whitewash in Australia. Young all-rounder Pawan Negi was the surprise pick for the World Twenty20 and Asia Cup, while the selectors also reposed faith in veterans such as Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh in the 15-member Indian squad.

“This is a good team, in my view a leg-spinner would have given more options but selectors have stuck with the same team. The balance of the team in Australia was terrific and that balance hasn’t changed. In fact inclusion of Negi and Shami has strengthened the squad,” Gavaskar said.

Talking about Shami's selection, he said: "It will be a bit of risk (including Shami). However, this format is short so (he can bowl four overs). More than a month is left for World T20 and he will get a fair bit of bowling in the Asia Cup too."

Shami was named in the squad that toured Australia but a hamstring injury forced him to return home without bowling a ball Down Under.​

Other young players such as Jasprit Bhumrah and Hardik Pandya, who impressed in the recent series against Australia, also found a place in the squad announced by BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur after a meeting of the selection committee here today.

The full squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c) , Rohit Sharma, Shikar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja , Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bhumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan Negi, Mohd Shami