Xtra Time Web Desk: The national selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar has sparked a debate by not picking leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the Indian squad for the upcoming 5-match T20I series against Australia. The leg-spinner has been getting a raw deal from the selectors recently. Chahal was not selected in the World Cup squad as well, raising a serious question about his white ball future. The selectors instead picked Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi as the three specialist spinners for the T20I series against the Aussies.
Chahal, who has taken 96 wickets at an average of 25.09 in 80 T20Is posted a smiling emoji on X. Perhaps he was trying to send a message to selectors that he has taken the snub in stride and work harder to make a comeback.
With Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja being rested for the T20I series against Australia, it was expected Chahal would get an opportunity. But the selectors preferred Ravi Bishnoi over Chahal.
Meanwhile star batter Suryakumar Yadav will lead Men in Blue for upcoming series against Aussies. With Hardik Pandya still not fully recovered from the ankle injury, the selectors are likely to entrust Surya with the captaincy responsibilities. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named as the vice-captain.
Team India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who captained the side in the last T20I series against Ireland, has been given a well-deserved rest. Bumrah’s absence presents an opportunity for other players to step up and make significant contributions to the team’s success in the upcoming series against Australia.
Here is the squad picked by the selection committee for the five T20Is against Australia:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
Shreyas Iyer will join the squad as vice-captain for the last two T20Is in Raipur and Bengaluru.