Falling further down the pecking order, Yuzvendra Chahal faced another setback, getting dropped from India's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced a 17-member squad for the tournament, on Monday in Delhi. The announcement saw Tilak Varma, who hasn't appeared in ODIs yet, included in the squad. Meanwhile, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer made their return from injuries and Jasprit Bumrah was also included. After a lengthy absence due to injury, the pacer made his comeback in the ongoing Ireland T20I series.
Chahal's shocking exclusion saw the selectors go with Kuldeep Yadav instead, as the preferred wrist-spinner along with two finger spinners in all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Even veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has been excluded from the squad.
The decision left many fans enraged, meanwhile some even trolled Chahal. Taking to Twitter, one fan wrote, “Surprising news: Yuzi Chahal not included in the squad for Asia Cup. Will this affect India's chances?”
Another user wrote, “I still feel Chahal could've been picked for a fast bowler. You will always go with 2 quicks + Hardik in Asia Cup & WC too! & if u want to play all 3 seamers, u still have 3 options! But now what if you want a leg-spinner?”
{{/usCountry}}Another user wrote, “I still feel Chahal could've been picked for a fast bowler. You will always go with 2 quicks + Hardik in Asia Cup & WC too! & if u want to play all 3 seamers, u still have 3 options! But now what if you want a leg-spinner?”
{{/usCountry}}Another fan questioned the selectors, “Why do they leave Chahal out of every WC?”
Here are the other reactions:
In 72 ODIs, Chahal has scalped 121 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. Meanwhile, he has taken 96 wickets in 80 T20Is, alongwith a five-wicket haul. Meanwhile, even Ishan Kishan has been selected as the second wicketkeeper to Rahul, ahead of Sanju Samson due to his left-handed option. Kishan also offers plenty of depth in the batting line-up and can be slotted in as an opener or middle order batter. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma will lead the squad and Hardik Pandya has been appointed as the vice-captain.
India will begin their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against Pakistan on September 2. They are placed alongside Nepal and Pakistan in Group A.