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'He doesn't deserve to be in Team India…': Ex-PAK spinner's bombastic take on Yuzvendra Chahal's snub from Asia Cup
In the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal, the onus will be on Kuldeep Yadav to lead India's spin attack.
After a full-fledged tour to the West Indies, followed by a T20I series in Ireland, the action returns to the sub-continent, with the Asia Cup 2023, scheduled to start next week. The continental tournament is being jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with India scheduled to play all their fixtures in the island nation.
Senior pros Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli return to action, while Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, who made a comeback after injury in the Ireland tour, have also been named in the squad. The tournament will also mark the return of India's middle-order star Shreyas Iyer, while KL Rahul, despite not being 100 percent fit has also been included in the 17-member squad.
Tilak Varma has also been named in the squad but there have been a few names, which have been overlooked. Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the biggest omission and many ex-cricketers have questioned his absence from the squad.
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However, ex-Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria feels BCCI did the right thing by not including the wrist spinner, stating he doesn't “deserve” a spot. Sharing his thoughts on the Indian squad assembled for the Asia Cup, Kaneria speaking on his YouTube channel said: "Yuzvendra Chahal doesn't deserve to be in Team India right now. He has been very inconsistent. Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, has picked up wickets regularly and can be effective in the middle overs. The selectors took the right call by going with Kuldeep over Chahal."
India's spin option in absence of Chahal
In the absence of Chahal, the onus will be on Kuldeep Yadav to lead India's spin attack. He'll find support from all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Tilak Varma can also be seen rolling his arms, considering Rohit Sharma has utilised him while playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
India's fixtures at Asia Cup 2023
The tournament gets underway with Pakistan locking horns with Nepal in the opening match, which will be played on August 30. India will get their campaign underway against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2, scheduled to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
India will then take on Nepal two days later, which will also be played at the same venue.
The Super Fours will start from September 6 and will conclude on September 15. The finals will be played on September 17.
