Deepak Chahar’s absence from the first ODI against South Africa has left everyone confused and raising doubts and questions.
Deepak Chahar is one of the four members of the Australia-bound group that didn’t depart for Australia on Thursday. Mohammed Shami, who has recovered from covid, is at the NCA while Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi got to play in the first ODI.
Deepak Chahar, Iyer, Shami and Bishnoi all are in the reserves of the T20 World Cup.
While Iyer and Bishnoi were named in India’s XI for the first ODI against the Proteas on Thursday at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, Deepak Chahar, surprisingly, was omitted from the ODI match.
This left everyone with raised eyebrows as since Chahar is set to fly to Australia – now as a reserve player for the T20 WC, but he could be drafted in the squad as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement – and he needs more game time having returned from an injury only last month.
The 30-year-old recently featured in the 3 T20Is against South Africa where he took 3 wickets, and even showed his six-hitting ability with the bat, smashing 31 runs off 17 balls in the third T20I where India went down by 49 runs.
Shikhar Dhawan is leading a second-string Indian team in the ODIs against SA. Dhawan won the toss and elected to field first. He named the entire playing XI at the toss itself, but the absence of Chahar’s name was conspicuous.
India went with Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan as their three seamers with Kuldeep and Bishnoi the two spinners.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan(c), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson(w), Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan
South Africa (Playing XI): Janneman Malan, Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi
Fans were left stumped with Deepak Chahar not playing this game. Some even wondered whether Chahar is also injured!
Here are the reactions of fans to Deepak Chahar’s exclusion from the first ODI vs South Africa:
Not picking Deepak Chahar is beyond me. #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/4re93LHCN8
— Vishesh Roy (@vroy38) October 6, 2022
Surprising that Thakur has been preferred over Deepak Chahar. When both were available, Chahar played ahead of Thakur in Zimbabwe.
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) October 6, 2022
Deepak Chahar is not playing because he is likely to be announced replacement of Bumrah and might be travelling to Australia.#INDvSA #DeepakChahar pic.twitter.com/1QKyZEXfsy
— Arnav (@Arnav_Tweetz7) October 6, 2022
Why is Avesh Khan playing above Deepak Chahar? Are they reconsidering Avesh for the WC? 🤔
— Naman Agarwal (@CoverDrivenFor4) October 6, 2022
Can someone tell me why Deepak chahar is not playing ? 🤔
— Nitesh malakar (@NiteshS31440405) October 6, 2022
Resting Chahar for T20 WC?
— Sathish (@sathishpgw) October 6, 2022
Baffling to see Avesh Khan playing ahead of Deepak Chahar.
Team selections are not making sense at all off late.#INDvSA— Vaibhav (@ervaibhavkumar) October 6, 2022
Swinging conditions and Deepak Chahar on bench and Avesh Khan in the team 👍
— Cricket🏏 Lover (@CricCrazyV) October 6, 2022
Why won’t you play Deepak Chahar in place of Avesh Khan?
He gives batting depth too.
Freaking clowns. https://t.co/vq2Inp7jvp
— A-Man (@ratedAMAN) October 6, 2022
All well with @deepak_chahar9 ? Why’s he not playing?#IndvSA
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) October 6, 2022
Here we are talking about Deepak Chahar in the T20 World Cup Squad meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan feels he isn’t suited for an India A ODI side 🙂. #INDvSA
— Naman (@Mr_unknown23_) October 6, 2022
