India Squad For T20 World Cup 2021: 3 Undeserving Players Who Were Selected

India Squad For T20 World Cup 2021: 3 Undeserving Players Who Were Selected. Surprises galore in India‘s squad for the T20 World Cup announced by the BCCI on Wednesday evening. The board named a 15-man squad, plus 3 reserves, for the mega event, which will take place in the UAE and Oman, starting October 17.

India play their first encounter on October 24 against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai. New Zealand, Afghanistan, and two other teams that come through from the qualifiers are alongside India in Group 2 of the Super 12 stage.

The unforeseen appointment of former skipper MS Dhoni made the occasion, so the recall of Ravichandran Ashwin and exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal made it eventful. Selection of the likes of Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy – two hot commodities who have done well in recent IPL seasons – over a more experienced, proven, but out-of-form Yuzvendra Chahal is debatable.

India Squad For T20 World Cup 2021: 3 Undeserving Players Who Were Selected

Axar Patel

Axar Patel pipped Krunal Pandya for one of the all-rounder’s spots, however, still remains a surprise and perhaps undeserving selection. He will be the backup of Ravindra Jadeja.

Patel only has featured in 12 T20Is to date despite making his T20I debut in 2015. He has picked up 9 wickets at an average of 32.11. Considering Patel spins the ball in the same direction as Jadeja and Rahul Chahar, he is also unlikely to get any game time.

He snapped 9 wickets in 15 matches in last season’s IPL and 6 wickets in 4 games this season so far, although at a fairly impressive economy. Perhaps a more accomplished spinner such as Yuzvendra Chahal could have been backed more after his recent struggles.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has become a folk hero and his name for India’s T20I team has been called by fans alike for some time. Washington Sundar’s injury paved way for Ashwin’s return to the T20I side after four years.

However, considering Ashwin was not even close to India’s white-ball set-up, it can be thought that he may not be the best man for the job. Clearly, the 34-year-old isn’t been looked at as a long-term prospect in the T20I team. So, one may think, wouldn’t it have been a better choice to add in a youngster and give him the experience of a World event.

Also, with plenty of spinners already in the squad, someone like Shardul Thakur, who was terrific in the white-ball matches against England earlier this year, would have been a reasonable pick in the main 15-man squad.

Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami has played a total of 12 T20I matches in his career, in which he picked up 12 wickets; he has featured in only 6 T20Is since 2017. And suddenly being picked up in the World Cup squad, despite his brilliance in the Test arena, begs the question as to what kind of message does it send to the young pacers.

The likes of Deepak Chahar, a white-ball specialist, who has been outstanding for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, and has thoroughly grabbed his chances for India – 20 wickets in 14 games at an economy of 7.59, including a hat-trick – is now placed in the standby list.

Also Read: Twitter Erupts In Joy As BCCI Announces MS Dhoni As The Mentor Of Team India For T20 World Cup 2021

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