As many as eight Indian cricketers who are currently in New Zealand as part of India’s ODI squad will head home while 11 new players will fly to Bangladesh to form the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series there. While the return of captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Axar Patel, and Mohammed Shami was on the expected lines, what defies logic is the absence of Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Umran Malik. Equally astonishing is the inclusion of Ishan Kishan, and Mohammed Siraj. If they were a part of the scheme of things in ODIs then why were they sent home after playing only the T20Is in New Zealand?
Former India opener Aakash Chopra asked some tough questions to the Chetan Sharma-led senior selection committee, which is on its way out but not before they named four different squads at one go in what perhaps was their last selection meeting. Chopra was ‘baffled’ by the selection that ‘defied logic.’
He couldn’t understand why Shubman Gill was not named for the Bangladesh ODIs despite being India’s best opener in that format this year along with Shikhar Dhawan. But what really shook Chopra was the axing of Sanju Samson. Samson, who didn’t get a game in the T20I series in New Zealand, was dropped from the second ODI after playing the series opener, where he made a decent contribution.
However, he will be replaced by Ishan Kishan, who interestingly was not a part of the New Zealand ODIs but will return for the three-match ODI series in Bangladesh.
“When the series ends, nine (eight) players will go back home. The remaining will go to Bangladesh. You have changed 12 players from one series to another. 11 new players are joining (for the Bangladesh ODIs). Wow, can something like this happen?” Chopra said in his YouTube channel.
“If genuinely you have given someone rest then that is SKY. He has been playing a lot of cricket. But what about Sanju Samson? He too is not going to Bangladesh. Ishan Kishan will go. Kishan, who was only there for the T20 leg of the New Zealand tour but wasn’t a part of the ODI squad, Samson was.
When you see so many changes in the ODI squad, you feel like how does it make sense? Aap Shubman Gill ko kya batane walo ho? Aap Deepak Hooda ko kya bolenge? Aap Sanju Samson ko jawab kya denge? (What answers will you give to Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda?) If you don’t wanna play Kuldeep Chahal together then why do you pick them? If you do, then play them,” Chopra added.
Big guns like Rohit, Kohli, Rahul were given a break from the entire New Zealand tour after the T20 World Cup. Chopra said their return was not surprising at all. “Rohit, Rahul and Kohli had to be back.. But I can’t understand Ishan Kishan’s selection. He was not in ODIs in New Zealand but has been picked ahead of Samson for Bangladesh ODIs. Samson doesn’t get matches. The guy who replaced Samson in the second ODI – Hooda – is not in the squad for Bangladesh ODIs. Who are the all-rounders there? Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar. If you can’t find space for Hooda here then there’s a bit of a problem. What are the selectors doing?” he said.
India currently trailing 0-1 in the three-match series. The second ODI was a no result due to rain, making the third ODI in Christchurch on Wednesday a decider.
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