‘He didn't do anything wrong, doesn't need rest': Ex-opener lambasts India squad for Bangladesh ODIs, bats for Gill

Now that the focus is slowly shifting towards the ODIs with the World Cup lined up next year at home, captain Rohit, Kohli and Rahul are back in the mix. India have pretty much made their stance clear about having Dhawan in this format, meaning there was no space for Gill in the XI, not even in the squad for the Bangladesh tour despite having a pretty decent outing against New Zealand. Former India opener Aakash Chopra has a problem with that.

Ever since making a comeback to the Indian ODI set-up from the West Indies tour this year, Shubman Gill, so far, has scored 638 runs in 12 matches at an average of 70.88 and a strike rate of 102.57 with four fifties and a century. Only Shikhar Dhawan has scored more runs than him in ODIs for India this year but he played 7 more matches and has an average of 39 and a strike rate of only 75. It is safe to say, Gill has been the best Indian batter in 50-overs cricket in 2022 and yet he didn't find a place in the Indian squad for the three-match series against Bangladesh.

India's Suryakumar Yadav, left, and Shubman Gill leave the field during a rain delay during their one day international cricket match in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP) (AP)

Surprising right? That has pretty much been the pattern with India this year in white-ball cricket, especially in ODIs. Due to the focus on the T20 World Cup, the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul barely played ODI cricket, opening up the position for someone like Gill, who took the opportunity with both hands.

Now that the focus is slowly shifting towards the ODIs with the World Cup lined up next year at home, captain Rohit, Kohli and Rahul are back in the mix. India have pretty much made their stance clear about having Dhawan in this format, meaning there was no space for Gill in the XI, not even in the squad for the Bangladesh tour despite having a pretty decent outing against New Zealand.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has a problem with that. He said if Gill can't be placed in the ODI squad when seniors are available despite doing the best he can, then there was no point in picking him in the first place.

"Shubman Gill is performing really well. He wasn't a part of the T20 World Cup. So he's not tired at all. He doesn't need workload management at all but he has not been selected for the Bangladesh tour. But why? He isn't doing anything wrong. And if you think you can't select him even after doing well then don't select him in the first place because it defies logic," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

The absence of Gill was not the only surprising part of India's squad for the Bangladesh ODI starting December 4. There was no space for Sanju Samson, spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Samson played only one match in the entire New Zealand tour while Kuldeep did not even get a game. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan, who has rarely been an ODI preference, was named in the squad for the Bangladesh tour.