Aakash Chopra, a former Indian cricketer, has raised some concerns about leg-spinner Rahul Chahar’s exclusion from the Indian T20 squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand in India. Chopra believes it is unjust to withdraw Chahar from India’s T20 squad after just playing him in one match at the T20 World Cup in 2021.
The BCCI picked a 16-member roster for the India-New Zealand T20 series, with veteran Rohit Sharma as captain. Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja are not included in the squad, providing them some much-needed respite.
Selectors have left out a handful of players who named to India’s T20 World Cup roster. Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Suryakumar Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Rahul Chahar have all been withdrawn from India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series.
“Rahul Chahar only played a single game in the tournament and on the back of just that single game, how did you decide that he’s now not in the scheme of things. It totally unfair.” He said
In India’s final league stage match against Namibia, Chahar took over for Varun Chakravarthy. The leg-spinner, on the other hand, had a bad day and went wicketless.
Thakur, who was pick in the main Indian team for the T20 World Cup from the touring reserves minutes before the tournament began, only played two games in the event. Meanwhile, Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, went wicketless throughout India’s ill-fated T20 World Cup 2021 campaign.
Chopra slammed the Indian selection committee for dropping Thakur and Chakravarthy after only two or three matches.
Shardul Thakur
“Shardul Thakur is not part of the team. You, right before the world Cup, put him in the squad from the traveling reserves and now he has been dropped. What does it tell us? I am confused.” the former cricketer said
“Varun Chakravarthy has also not been picked. That’s another interesting point I need to bring about. He was your mystery spinner, and selected ahead of Ashwin in the initial matches of the WC. And now after playing him in 3 matches, is that it? Is he currently not in your blueprint for the T20I set-up?” Chopra added
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the players who has a chance to redeem himself. In recent months, the veteran right-arm seamer has not been at his best.
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