Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria reckons the Indian selectors have made the right decision by dropping Yuzvendra Chahal from their squad for the Asia Cup 2023.
India’s wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s non-inclusion in the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 has become one of the most talked about topics on social media, as many are citing it as a big mistake. However, he has been ignored for an all-important tournament. Prasidh Krishna was chosen as the fifth seam bowling option. Besides Krishna, the selectors went ahead with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav as the premier spin bowling options for the continental tournament.
It has to be noted that Chahal was also benched for all three games of the ODI series against the West Indies. The senior leg-spinner has played only two ODIs so far this year.
Danish Kaneria Verdict On Yuzvendra Chahal’s Exclusion From India’s Squad
Meanwhile, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has backed BCCI’s decision to go ahead with Kuldeep Yadav instead of Chahal. Kaneria pointed out that Yuzvendra Chahal hasn’t been consistent with his performances of late. He also showered praise on Kuldeep Yadav. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaneria said:
“Yuzvendra Chahal doesn’t deserve to be in Team India right now. He has been very inconsistent. Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, has picked up wickets regularly and can be effective in the middle overs. The selectors took the right call by going with Kuldeep over Chahal.”
During the team announcement, when the Indian captain Rohit Sharma was asked about Yuzvendra Chahal’s exclusion from the 17-member squad, he said there was only a place for wrist spinners. BCCI’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar shed light on this decision, highlighting the insights that went into taking that decision. Agarkar had said:
Chahal is undoubtedly a terrific performer, but we had to carefully consider the overall balance of the team. Accommodating two wrist spinners in the squad would have posed significant challenges.”
Before Kaneria, former Indian captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly also backed the BCCI’s move to pick Axar Patel over Chahal because of his batting. He had said:
“They have picked Axar Patel ahead of Chahal because of his batting. So I think it’s a good selection. Chahal can still come back if someone gets injured. This is a 17-member squad, two, in any case, will have to move out,”
