My Dream T20I Indian Cricket Team of 1970s and 1980s

MY  DREAM  T20I TEAM  WHO COULD HAVE REPRESENTED INDIA IN 1970s/80s.

As  we  Know , T20 Cricket started  only around 2006 and became famous  after  2007 T20I WC, what if  this  format was  existing  in 1970s  and  80s, what would be  MOST  ideal  team  which could  represent  India, let us  have   look in this  third  part  of  this  cricket series, for  ease of  selection i have  restricted  my self  to players who played / debuted  for  India  in ODI Cricket in the period  1974 ( India played first ODI) to  1990  only. I am  sure  your will  find  this  interesting !!

Like  before , first  I will mention the  pool of  players , and than Select  the  team :

1)Openers : First  option is  obvious, the original  Dasher, who would  have been a  super hit in T20 Cricket for  sure,  Krishnamchari  Srikant , he is  a  auto choice. For  Second  opener, many choices, there was Raman Lamba, not a  great  talent but was  very Effective, than Srikant's Team mate, VB Chandrashekar , whom all Feel   Should would have  played  more  for  India , was a explosive batsman. Than Manoj Prabhakar , a  mutli utility player, ideal  Foil to Krish. Finally I have  two  WK/ Batsman options,  Farooq Engineer  and  Surinder Khanna, both  dashers, and  ideal  for  T20  brand  of  Cricket.

2)# 3  Postion : Not many , I would  say  , Obvious  Choice, Mohd Azaruddin, talented  player, fast runner, brilliant fielder  , what more  you require. Other  two  choices, Dileep Vengsarakar, not  really a  dasher  but Stylish  Accumulator  and  finally Sherry ( Navjot Sidhu ), ideal  for  this  cricket but had a huge  draw back, sloppy fielder.

3)# 4 and # 5 : First  name , Sandeep Patil, elegance and  Talent personified, even if not a great  runner or  a  fielder, used to bowl also , so can be  good  back up on a  bad  bowlers day. There was Brijesh Patel, brilliant talent, again suited  for  T20 Cricket and  an outstanding Fielder in Cover area which is so  Important . There was  Yashpal Sharma, a Run  accumulator  who can be  useful  ceratin times, Ashok Malhotra , a  Stylish Right hander, who modelled himself on the  great GRV, finally  Ravi  Shastri, useful left  armer and  very handy batsman if you need  some body to stick around , known  for his  big sixes  also.

4) # 6 : Most imp position, I would  say, in T20 also, has  to be a  Batting Allrounder, who can bowl his  4 overs on most of  times. My choices,  in the 1970s, Eknath Solkar, one of best fielders India has seen, useful batsman and  good part time seamer  , next Kirti Azad, big hitter, very decent bowler , off spinner so a big advantage when you have left  handers in opposition  . There was Ajay Sharma, a  good crafty  Left arm  Spinner and Useful batsman. Of Course  Robin Singh, very handy Medium Pacer and  excellent fielder and  more  than reliable bat.  Shastri and  Prabhakar can fit in here also.

5)# 7 : Is  there any thing to discuss  here,  It has  to one and  only KAPIL DEV, case  closed.

6) # 8 : If we need  stand  alone  wicket kepper, Chandrakant Pandit, a more than useful bat and  relaible  keeper, and Sadanand Vishwanath , one of best  stumpers we have seen, should have played much more  cricket for  India, than he actually did  

7) # Two   Pace  bowlers,   better  to have  all  rounders, My choice, Roger Binny for  Sure, one of best wing bowlers, brilliant fielder , very handy bat ( can open also),  Chetan Sharma, hard working Fast bowler, Good  pace, and  wicket taking bowler. Madan Lal, again a  huge  Team  Man, big trier, can  be good  death bowler. Finally  Atul Wasan ..  did not play  much for  India, but a  very crafty   Genuine pace  Bowler and not to forget Karsan Ghavri, left  arm pacer , a  rarity  those  days in India team and  good  lower order  bat

8) #  Two  Spinners, First  Choice  will be  Lakshman Sivramkrishnan, very obvious  one being a  Leg Spinner, wicket  taker  any day.  Maninder  Singh is  Second  choice, can be  container and  Wicket  taker  also , Arshad Ayub, off spinner from HYD , a useful lower bat also, and  finally  the ever  Reliable  Venkatraghavan , crafty off spinner, brilliant fielder and  one of  shrewdest cricketers  of  those  times.

SO  here  goes  My  Final  Eleven, very  Tough selection,  looking at  abundance of  talent :

Krishnamachari Srikanth, Farooq Engineer, Mohd Azaruddin, Sandeep Patil, Brijesh Patel, Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev, Kirti Azad, Roger Binny , Chetan Sharma, Lakshman Siva.

( Batting Order can be Tweaked, Shastri to Open, Kirti  can  come at  Six and  Engineer  At Eight or  Shastri  at  # 3  and  Azhar  at  # 6 depending on the  Situation)

12  Man  : Eknath  Solkar ( Depending on conditions, where we are  playing, can replace Kirti)  

Reserves : Manoj Prabhakar, Navjot Sidhu, Chandrakant Pandit, Maninder  Singh.  

I  would  say this  team  can  actually beat  present  Indian T 20I  Team or for  that matter  any of  country's   current  teams.