Hyderabad:In a surprising turn of events, former Indian cricket team (ICT) spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed his disappointment regarding the exclusion of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal from India's squad for the upcoming 3-match ODI series against Australia and the highly anticipated Cricket World Cup 2023. Harbhajan's remarks come as a shock to fans and cricket enthusiasts alike, as he openly questioned the reasons behind Chahal's omission from the squad.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Coach Rahul Dravid have been on the lookout for a dynamic bowler who can contribute with the bat at number eight in the batting order. Consequently, they have chosen to include Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja in the Asia Cup squad. However, Axar Patel's injury paved the way for the inclusion of Washington Sundar in the Asia Cup final, and to further bolster the squad, Ravichandran Ashwin has been added for the Australia series.
Harbhajan Singh, while commenting on the squad selection, expressed his bewilderment at the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal. He felt that Chahal deserved a place in the squad, emphasising that his exclusion was difficult to comprehend. Harbhajan speculated that there might be underlying reasons for Chahal's omission, suggesting that personal conflicts or disagreements within the team management could be factors affecting his selection. “He said that maybe he had fought with someone or had said something to someone that had impacted his chances of getting selected,” Singh said.
"Yuzvendra Chahal should have been in the squad; he deserves the opportunity that he didn't get. It is not understandable. Either he has fought with someone or he has said something to someone, I don't know," Harbhajan Singh lamented on his YouTube channel. He emphasised that when considering skills alone, Chahal's name should have been included, especially given that several key Team India players are resting for the series.