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.
Also read: Yuzvendra Chahal shines on County Championship debut for Kent
Harbhajan went on to highlight the sudden inclusion of Washington Sundar and Ravichandran Ashwin, suggesting that the management might be on the hunt for an off-spinner. "First, Washington Sundar, who wasn't part of the original Asia Cup squad, was called up. Now, R Ashwin has been added for this series. This indicates that the management is actively seeking off-spinners. They may have realised the absence of an off-spinner could pose problems if they encounter a line-up heavy on left-handers. It's puzzling to me, or they might be making another mistake to rectify their earlier one," he added.
While Yuzvendra Chahal finds himself outside the Indian squad, he has been keeping busy by representing Kent in the County Championship in England. Chahal made an impressive start to his County Championship stint, claiming three crucial wickets against Nottinghamshire in a Division One fixture.
As cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the start of the Australia series and the Cricket World Cup 2023, Harbhajan Singh's remarks have added an intriguing layer of speculation and debate regarding the selection process and the factors influencing team composition. The cricketing world will be watching closely to see how the chosen squad performs on the field in these high-stakes tournaments.
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