The India squad for the Test and ODI series against West Indies, which gets underway from next month, was announced by BCCI on Wednesday. There were a lot of surprises instore for the fans as Cheteshwar Pujara, India's red ball specialist, was dropped from the side. Another big development was the reappointment of Ajinkya Rahane as the vice-captain.
Navdeep Saini, whose last Test appearance was back in the famous Border-Gavaskar series victory in Australia, also makes a return to the side. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mukesh Kumar earned their maiden call-up.
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However, many pointed out the selection was based on the performances in the latest edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), rather than the Ranji Trophy, which is India's premier red ball competition.
Abhinav Mukund, who has represented India in seven Tests, also echoed similar views. “Unable to understand these selections- too many thoughts in my head to compile into a tweet. But what is the incentive for a young player to take pride in playing for his state anymore? Clearly the franchise route is a faster way to scale the grade,” he tweeted.
Mukund's view is understandable as despite a transition seen in the new squad, consistent performers in Ranji Trophy have been overlooked. Sarfaraz Khan, who has been one of the top performers and was also the highest run-scorer in the previous edition, is yet to earn a maiden call-up in the squad.
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{{/usCountry}}Mukund's view is understandable as despite a transition seen in the new squad, consistent performers in Ranji Trophy have been overlooked. Sarfaraz Khan, who has been one of the top performers and was also the highest run-scorer in the previous edition, is yet to earn a maiden call-up in the squad.
Also Read: After India snub, Cheteshwar Pujara to play for West Zone in Duleep Trophy
{{/usCountry}}On the other hand, both Jaiswal and Gaikwad had an amazing season in the cashrich league, with the former finishing in the top five among the highest run-getters. Gaikwad was a vital cog in Chennai Super Kings, and helped the franchise clinch their fifth title. If we look at the stats, he was seventh in the list of highest run-getters.