After being left out of the T20I series against Australia, Yuzvendra Chahal grinned in response.

Yuzvendra Chahal did not make the roster for the 2023 ODI World Cup despite having a strong performance for India. Chahal was once again left out of the 15-man squad when the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s selectors revealed the team for the next five-match Twenty20 International series against Australia shortly after the tournament ended. While Chahal will have to wait for his chance, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravi Bishnoi advanced from the spin department.

Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record for most wickets taken by India in the game’s shortest format.

The 33-year-old has emerged as a clear match winner with 96 wickets in 80 Twenty20 internationals. Moreover, he was playing well for Haryana in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking nine wickets in his previous four games. Nonetheless, the BCCI selection committee supported the athletes who performed well for their country at the Asian Games.

The spinner, meanwhile, was not happy about not being included in the T20I team. When BCCI revealed the team for the T20I series, which is scheduled to start in Visakhapatnam on November 23, he responded on X (previously Twitter) with a smile without saying anything.

😊

— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) November 20, 2023

Many veteran cricket players, meanwhile, have been rested for the series. The captain, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Virat Kohli have been rested before an extended away series against South Africa. Hardik Pandya led the team in the T20I squad when Rohit was not available, but the all-rounder is not in the squad since he is still healing from an ankle injury he sustained during the ODI World Cup.

In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav will captain the squad; when he returns for the remaining two Twenty20 Internationals in Raipur and Bengaluru, Shreyas Iyer will take over as vice captain. In the interim, VVS Laxman is anticipated to serve as the series’ head coach.