Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian cricketing legend, suggested that all-rounder Deepak Hooda be included in the squad for India’s upcoming T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands on October 27. On October 23, India defeated Pakistan in a nail-biting victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to kick off their T20 World Cup campaign. India saved the game with the last ball after Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya put on a chase masterclass against Babar Azam’s team.

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The match’s all-rounder Pandya bowled a full four overs and batted for 37 balls before being dismissed in the 20th over. He appeared out of breath in the last few overs and acknowledged his extreme fatigue after the game. Sunil Gavaskar, in an interview with Sports Tak, said that anyone on the team with a niggle should be rested and kept fresh for the South Africa game, which is set to take place on October 30.

India set to play Netherlands in next Super-12 match

Meanwhile, India is set to play the Netherlands in their next Super-12 match on October 27. The Netherlands will hope to challenge a solid Indian team after putting on spirited performances in the tournament’s group stage. India has two options for Hardik in the team if they decide to rest him. The competitors who are most likely to emerge in the match against the Dutchmen are Deepak Hooda and Harshal Patel.

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Hooda can bat in the top six positions and has the ability to bowl off-spin. In 2022, he has scored 293 T20I runs at a strike rate of 155.85. It is also worth mentioning here that except for the Asia Cup 2022 knockout match against Pakistan, in which the Rohit-led team lost by 5 wickets, India has won every match in which Deepak Hooda has played across formats. This year, in February at Ahmedabad, the middle-order batter played his first international match against the West Indies.

Moreover, Harshal’s inclusion will signal India’s intention to maintain its four-pronged pace attack throughout the competition. When asked, Gavaskar chose Deepak Hooda over Harshal Patel as Hardik’s potential replacement.