Saba Karim feels that there has been more consistency in Team India’s selections since the former India player Rahul Dravid took over as the national team’s head coach as well. However, they will face South Africa in a five-match T20I series, with the first match to be played on June 9. An 18-member Indian squad has been named for the series, with KL Rahul leading the team in Rohit Sharma’s absence.
During a discussion on India News, Saba Karim was asked if there was more continuity in team selections under the head coach Rahul Dravid than was there under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri as well.
He responded: “It is being seen more after Rahul Dravid has come in and it is correct as well. Every captain or coach will want that there should be continuity in his team, how the captain or coach gives comfort to their players that they are there to take care of them and they should play freely.”
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Saba Karim explained: “If the selectors don’t agree with that and pick the team according to them, it is difficult to have a conducive environment in the team, a player is always insecure, he feels that he will be out of the team if he doesn’t score runs or picks wickets in one or two matches. I feel Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma’s thinking is that they will always back players who they think have the potential to perform. He can go through a bad patch but you should not make too many changes in the team.”
Meanwhile, the players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah won’t be a part of the T20I series against South Africa. However, he stated that most of the players who were part of the Indian side earlier have been retained.
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“I can understand why he has been picked because the selectors’ thinking is that there should be some continuity. If you keep changing your team based on one IPL tournament, you will not be able to provide the security that is required to be given to the team members. The selectors’ thinking is correct, for instance, they had chosen Harshal Patel before the IPL, he has also been kept. Suryakumar Yadav would have also been there in the team if he was fit. Deepak Hoo Saba Karimda was also there in the team earlier, that is why he has been kept, Venkatesh Iyer is also in the team,” Saba Karim concluded.
