India tour of England: Who should bat at no. 3 for Team India? Harbhajan Singh makes surprising pick | Cricket News – Times of India

Harbhajan Singh (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed younger left-hander Sai Sudharsan to bat at No. 3 in India’s upcoming five-Test sequence in England, calling it a vital alternative for the teenager.“In my opinion, Sai Sudharsan should play at No.3. He’s a left-hander, in top form, and just came off a very impressive IPL. His technique is sound, and I believe he could be the solution at that position,” Harbhajan mentioned, as quoted by IANS.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The Indian squad for the England tour signifies a considerable change. Following the retirement of veterans like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin from the format, an altered 18-member group will compete below 25-yr-outdated Shubman Gill’s management, with Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy.Selection head Ajit Agarkar defined that Jasprit Bumrah was not thought-about for captaincy as a consequence of workload administration issues.“Gill is a new captain, and the team is quite young — there’s no Rohit, Virat, Pujara, or even Ajinkya Rahane. It’s going to be challenging, but I expect our youngsters to rise to the occasion and perform well,” Harbhajan mentioned.

He requested supporters and analysts to stay understanding in the course of the group’s growth: (*3*)

“The team needs to believe in themselves — believe that they can win. This team has the ability,” Harbhajan added. “These are the same youngsters — Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant — who broke Australia’s fortress at the Gabba. Now it’s their turn to make history again. The opportunity is massive, and they should grab it with both hands.” The squad choice options first-time Test name-ups for B. Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh, while Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur return. The exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami has generated dialogue, with each followers and former captain Sourav Ganguly expressing issues about Iyer’s omission. “Shreyas Iyer is a very fine player. He’s proven himself in ODIs, performed in the World Cup, Champions Trophy, and IPL. So yes, he should’ve been in the squad. But maybe the selectors don’t see him as a red-ball player right now,” Harbhajan mentioned. “If I were part of the selection committee, I would have considered him. But this is not the end — his journey is long, and he might even be a future ODI captain. One missed tour doesn’t mean his career is over.“ The five-Test sequence begins June 20 at Headingley and marks India’s entry into the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.