Shardul Thakur could be a concern for India, he picks up wickets but leaks a lot of runs: Robin Uthappa

Shardul Thakur’s selection for the upcoming ODI World Cup has been a huge matter of discussion. Many former cricketers have come up with the positive and negative side of it and Robin Uthappa becomes the latest one to join the list. The 2007 T20 World Cup winner stated that Shardul has the capability to pick up wickets and called him a high-class bowler but is also worried about his economy rate.

Notably, the Palghar-born cricketer has been a regular for the national team in the recent past as the team management preferred him over Mohammed Shami in the recently concluded Asia Cup. His calibre to play quick cameos with the bat has made him one of the starters and in the ODI World Cup, the Rohit Sharma-led side is expected to go with the same formula. However, Robin Uthappa remains concerned about his economy in ODI cricket.

“Shardul Thakur could be a concern for Team India. Yes, he picks up wickets and is a high-quality bowler, but he leaks a lot of runs. He can be very expensive. That's something that he will have to pay attention to. He is someone who is always going to take wickets, but when he doesn't take wickets, he ends up looking a little expensive. In CSK, we used to fondly call him the golden arm. I am certain that his role will be very similar for the Indian team,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.

Uthappa lauds Ashwin for his remarkable performance against Australia

Ravichandran Ashwin has replaced Axar Patel in India’s ODI World Cup squad and it is expected that the cricketer will play a key role in the tournament. He has the much-needed experience and is in good rhythm at the moment, which should boost the confidence of the Chennai-born cricketer. Uthappa meanwhile lauded the cricketer and expects him to prove to be dangerous in the World Cup.

“It certainly seems like Ashwin will be the number-one pick if India miss out Axar Patel. With his experience in India, he is going to be a very dangerous bowler. He got an outside chance, and he is a high-quality player who brings out his best performances in such situations. From not being selected in the World Cup squad to deceiving batters in the Australia series, Ashwin has done exceptionally well,” Uthappa said.