New Delhi: India couldn’t afford to exclude a player of the calibre of Virat Kohli, said Brian Lara, pointing out that despite picking four spinners only two in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav could get into their playing XI.

Apart from Yadav and Chahal, India have chosen Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja as two spin bowling all-rounders in their 15-member squad.

“You have to have a player like Virat in the playing eleven,” Lara told PTI on Tuesday.

“In terms of spinners, I don’t want to dig too deep into having four spinners because I don’t think you’re going to play four spinners. But I like the fact that Chahal is there. He is not just an IPL star. You look at him, oh, you look at the brains that he put behind the ball, the deliveries, he’s out-thinking the batter.

“And also, Kuldeep. So, I see those guys are guys who are going to get wickets for you, not just look to restrain the battle or scared to bowl an attacking delivery.”

The former West Indies skipper chose India and West Indies as the two teams who could meet in the final, which could make up for their early exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup that dampened the mood of the tournament.

“The West Indies should do well. They have a lot of individual stars and when they come together as a team they do well. India, with all their cry over selection, they find themselves in the top four,” he said.

“India and West Indies final is going to make up for so much wrong that has happened in the past. India missing out in 2007 in second round, that killed us in the Caribbean. We don’t want that to happen again. So, India and West Indies in the final and may the best team win.”

The batting great said that India have to find a way to make Suryakumar Yadav bat at No. 3 and then everybody sort of position themselves outside of that.

With a top-order consisting of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kohli, Yadav is expected to bat at No.4.

“My one advice, and I don’t know if you’re going to like it or not, but Sky has to bat at three. He just has to bat at three. He is one of the greatest T20 players in the game.

“He’s not an opener, get him out there and if he can bat for 10-15 overs, you know what’s going to happen. He’s going to put you in an unassailable position if you bat him first, or he’s going to win the game if he’s batting second,” the former left hand batter said.