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Cricket Players‘Plans gone a little awry?’: Ex-IND batter questions selectors as Umesh Yadav makes surprise T20I return
Umesh Yadav who had a decent season with Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League returns to the scheme of things after a gap of over two years.
The sudden arrival of Umesh Yadav in the T20I setup have left many perplexed. Yadav has been called in India's squad for the T20Is as replacement for Mohammed Shami, who tested positive for Covid and has been ruled out of the series. The veteran pacer who had a decent season with Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League returns to the scheme of things after a gap of over two years.
Reacting to the development, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned the decision and tweeted: "Since the last World Cup, India has played loads of T20i games but Md. Shami and Umesh Yadav didn’t feature in any one of them and with just four weeks to the World Cup, both have become a part of the plans. Plans gone a little awry?"
Shami was heavily missed in the recently-concluded Asia Cup, as India crashed out of the tournament after a below par show. He hasn't featured in a T20I ever since the World Cup in UAE a was making a return in the series against Australia. He is named among the standby members for the upcoming World T20 in Australia, which gets underway from October 16.
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Addressing the press ahead of the series opener in Mohali, India captain Rohit Sharma said that veterans like Umesh and Shami have proved their potential to straightaway walk into any format.
"Guys like Umesh, Shami, who have been bowling for a long time. They do not need to be playing a format to be considered," Rohit said in a pre-match press conference.
"They have proven themselves as players in whichever format they have played. We understand the quality, it is the new guys on whom it will depend whether they have played this format or not. But guys like Umesh and Shami, if they are fit and fine, they will be called back," the captain added.
