‘Doors aren’t closed on any senior player’: BCCI’s glimmer of hope for Pujara

However, a BCCI source indicated the doors are open for Pujara to return to the Test squad, but he will have to grind it out. Pujara was dismissed cheaply by the Aussies for 14 and 27 in the WTC finals at the Ovals in earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane’s performance in the WTC has clicked the BCCI selection board and he was promoted to vice-captaincy in the Indian Test squad. So now, if Rahane’s Test career can receive a fresh lease of life, Pujara’s return may become difficult.

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“If Ajinkya Rahane can be made vice-captain of the Test team after being out for 15 months before the WTC final, anyone can make a comeback. The doors aren’t closed on any senior player. It’s just that you need to start transitioning somewhere. The selectors don’t want a situation where all seniors quit the scene in one to go and we don’t have anyone experienced left in the dressing room,” a BCCI source told Times of India.

Apart from this, the inclusion of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Navdeep Saini, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mukesh Kumar indicates BCCI wants to revive the whole team.

Here’s the India squad for the West Indies tour:

Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.

Updated: 26 Jun 2023, 11:42 PM IST