We have Quality Players Who Can Form Three To Four International Teams, Opines Robin Uthappa

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has remarked that India has a great depth of talent pool and they can have three to four quality teams at the international level. He also added that to earn a permanent place in the Indian cricket team, players have to seize opportunities with their performance as there is high competition. Writes ETV Bharat's Nishad Bapat

Hyderabad: The BCCI selection committee announced the squad for the Sri Lanka series recently and Suryakumar Yadav was named as the skipper of the national side. Two notable exclusions from the team were batters Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad as both did well in the recently concluded series against Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.

Abhishek amassed 124 runs in the series with an impressive strike rate of 174.64 while Ruturaj was also brilliant by racking up 133 runs with an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33. Still, the duo was dropped from the series against Sri Lanka by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel and that raised many eyebrows.

Reflecting on the duo’s exclusion Robin Uthappa has opined that players have to grab whatever opportunity they get considering the depth of the talent pool India possesses. He also added that India has so much talent that they can form three to four international teams.

"To be honest, considering the kind of quality of players we have, I believe everyone deserves a chance. Ruturaj deserves a long rope, I think he is a three-format player along the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill," Uthappa answered to a query asked by ETV Bharat during a group interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network.

"Abhishek Sharma showed his class in the Zimbabwe series. I have always said that this guy is the future of Indian cricket. You have to understand that, we have one Indian team and we have quality of players that can form three or four international quality teams," added Uthappa, who played

"This is gonna happen, it is not the first time its happened, this is not the last time it's gonna happen. I think players have to wait for the opportunity and when opportunities come up and create a space for themselves with the performance." India will play a white-ball series against Sri Lanka from July 27 which will include three ODIs and three T20Is.

(Watch the live coverage of the India Tour of Sri Lanka, 7 PM onwards starting on 27th July 2024 LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 5 & Sony Sports Ten 1 in English, Sony Sports Ten 3 in Hindi and Sony Sports Ten 4 channels in Tamil & Telugu. Sony Sports Network is the official broadcaster for the India Tour of Sri Lanka in India - comprising three T20Is & three ODIs).

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