The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the T20I series against West Indies, snubbing senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma while handing maiden call-ups to a few young guns under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. The 15-member squad left many elated as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma were rewarded for their Indian Premier League and domestic performances. But, many were disappointed seeing emerging stars like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma being snubbed.
The BCCI selection committee seems clear with their T20I process, with veterans like Rohit, Kohli, Shami being kept away from the shortest format. Whether the decision is purely with regards to workload management or a gradual shift towards a new thought-process, isn’t yet known.
The Newcomers:
The duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal ad Tilak Varma could be making their T20I debuts when India and West Indies square-off in a 3-match series, starting July 05. Other than them, Mukesh Kumar could also be in line for a debut. Though the pacer was selected for the New Zealand assignment too, he didn’t quite get to showcase his mettle. Other than the possible debutants, the selection committee also recalled some other players like Sanju Samson, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi.
Axar Patel, who wasn’t a part of the New Zealand series because of his wedding, also returns to the T20I fold in this series.
The Dropped Ones:
A number of T20 stars faced the axe for the Windies assignment in comparison to the last series. Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, and Prithvi Shaw were all left out. Though Ruturaj was initially picked for the T20Is against the Kiwis, an injury forced him out of the assignment.
Some of these players, however, are likely to get the BCCI’s nod for the Ireland assignment in August.
The Snubbed Names:
The stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, etc remain on the sidelines, with the selectors possibly looking to keep them fresh for the ODI World Cup. Even Mohammed Siraj wasn’t picked for the T20I series in what seems like purely a workload management attempt.
A few other T20 stars like Rinku Singh, Harshal Patel, and T Natarajan are some of those names who have proven themselves in the shortest format. What the future holds for them, only time will be able to clarify.
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