The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday, June 24 announced the squads for the upcoming ODI and Test series against the West Indies.
Rohit Sharma will lead India in both ODIs and Tests, while Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed as the vice-captain for the Test team, and Hardik Pandya will serve as Rohit’s deputy in the ODI side.
Key Points from Selection:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal have earned maiden Test call-ups
- Cheteshwar Pujara has been dropped from the Test side
- Sanju Samson has returned to India’s ODI team as a backup wicket-keeper
- Fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat have been included in both the Test and ODI squad
- Navdeep Saini has been called up for the Tests
- Umran Malik has returned to ODIs
- Mohammed Shami has been rested from both Tests and ODIs
What went wrong with the selection?
The BCCI’s decision to exclude Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran from the Test squad, despite their impressive performances as consistent run-scorers in domestic red-ball cricket, has raised eyebrows once again.
With an outstanding record of 3505 runs in only 37 first-class matches at an average of 79.65, Sarfaraz Khan has showcased his remarkable talent. Similarly, Abhimanyu Easwaran boasts over 6500 runs in just 87 first-class appearances, maintaining an average of 47.85.
However, Ruturaj Gaikwad, despite having a less remarkable first-class record compared to Sarfaraz and Abhimanyu, has secured a spot in the India Test squad. This decision has left fans feeling both surprised and angered.
Here are some reactions from the fans:
India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.
India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.
