New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee, led by Chetan Sharma, is fretting over inclusion of an additional fast bowler in India's T20 World Cup squad as Hardik Pandya's chances of bowling during the tournament look dim after not bowling a single over during Mumbai Indians' disappointing IPL campaign.
The BCCI has five more days to make any change to the squad (other than injury).
The ICC has allowed all the Super 12 teams a window of one week till October 15 (Friday) to make any required change.
For the Round-1 teams, the deadline for changing squad (without injury) ended on Sunday midnight (Dubai time).
It is still not sure whether Pandya, who has bowled sporadically since he suffered stress fracture in his back two years ago, will bowl full tilt at or will only concentrate on batting.
"Indian team is at least one fast bowler short in the main squad of 15. They have two experienced campaigners in Shardul Thakur, who is also a handy bowling all-rounder and Deepak Chahar, who has shown his batting prowess in Sri Lanka in the stand byes.
"So in case Hardik is not able to bowl, one of the two can be fitted in by the Committee," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Recently, Mumbai Indians' IPL campaign suffered as they couldn't find that balance in the middle-order with Pandya not bowling even a single over.
Till Friday, if selectors feel that Pandya's utility is less than half, Chahar or Thakur have a good enough chance of making it but it seems curtains for Yuzvendra Chahal as far as this tournament is concerned.
"The only option is if Varun Chakravarthy, who has dodgy knees, is ruled out by Indian team's support staff then Yuzi can get in. Selectors can pick him among stand byes so that if Chakravarthy's fitness becomes a concern, he can be drafted."
Umran Malik is already there in the India bio-bubble as net bowler.
