Following the Ajit Agarkar-led panel’s decision to exclude Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the 15-man roster for the forthcoming Asia Cup in September, experts have criticised India’s selection committee.
Since he was India’s backup opener in the T20 World Cup last year and Shubman Gill was in the reserves, former India bowler Atul Wassan finds Yashasvi’s exclusion even more puzzling. But for the Asia Cup, they switched places, and the batter from Punjab is now the vice-captain. Wassan found it difficult to understand why Yashasvi was left out, especially because players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had already retired from T20Is.
“Jaiswal ought to be more resentful. Why? When India won the World Cup, Jaiswal was the third opener. We should be talking about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s exclusion from the team more than Shreyas Iyer. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are both out, but Jaiswal is still not with the team. Why? Wassan told CNN-News18, “He hasn’t done anything wrong.”
I believe there is animosity there: Wassan
Wassan talked about how Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer collaborated to help the Kolkata Knight Riders win the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Shreyas Iyer led the Kolkata-based team as captain, and Gambhir served as their coach.
Iyer’s lack of recall to India’s T20 squad after his final participation in the format in December 2023 puzzled Wassan. The former cricket player who is now a broadcaster believes that Iyer may not have made the squad because of Tilak Varma’s outstanding performances during the South Africa trip last year. Additionally, Wassan believed that Iyer ought to have been listed as a reserve.
“This is the allure of cricket and the Indian cricket team’s picks. A great deal of speculation exists. I won’t refer to it as politics, but it’s undoubtedly personal preferences. I find it amusing. Why? Because Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer’s combined brainpower won them the IPL, and his actions since joining PBKS have been extraordinary. Therefore, I believe there is animosity there. However, it is true that Tilak Varma, who took his place in the T20 format, has performed so effectively that he cannot be replaced,” Wassan stated.
“If Shreyas Iyer joins the team, where does he play? However, there is still an eye exam for optics. Some players feel good about themselves right away. They ought to remain on the team. He was never retained by you on the team or in the standbys. Is Shreyas Iyer unworthy of being among India’s 20? Had someone been hurt, I believe I would have kept him on alert,” Wassan continued.
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