Fans React After Deepak Hooda Replaced Ravindra Jadeja In 3rd T20I vs WI: Less than 24 hours after India and West Indies battled out a tight last-over finish in the second T20I on Monday in St. Kitts, both the teams were facing each other off again on Tuesday for the third T20I.
India, who had won the first T20I in Trinidad by 68 runs, lost the 2 T20I as the hosts gunned down the target of 139 with four balls to spare and 5 wickets in hand. Both look for a victory in the third T20I to take a lead before the action moves to Florida for the next couple of games.
India make one change, so do West Indies
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first in the third game. Sharma announced that Deepak Hooda comes into the eleven for all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who, the skipper said, has been rested.
Jadeja had missed the preceding ODI series vs West Indies due to a knee injury and this rest is part of his workload and injury management. And also an opportunity to give Deepak Hooda more matches to solidify his claim for a spot in the Asia Cup squad, whose dates have been announced.
Hooda has been in spectacular form this year. He had made both his ODI and T20I debuts in February before having a breakthrough IPL 2022 season for the Lucknow Super Giants – batting at different positions in the middle-order in the IPL, Hooda scored 451 runs at an average of 32 and strike rate of 136 helping LSG through to the playoffs.
He then made a big name for himself by slamming a maiden T20I century, vs Ireland in June, a thunderous knock of 104 runs in 57 balls after he had smashed 47* off 29 balls against the same opposition.
Getting a chance to play in the first T20I vs England before the seniors returned, Hooda left his impression there too – thumping down 33 runs off 17 balls before being benched again.
He remained on the bench in the first couple of T20Is vs West Indies as Shreyas Iyer got the nod. Jadeja being rested paved his way back into the eleven today.
Fans were happy to see Deepak Hooda back in the eleven who even opened the bowling!
Here are some of their reactions:
Team News
1⃣ change for #TeamIndia as @HoodaOnFire is named in the team. #WIvIND
Follow the match
A look at our Playing XI
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 2, 2022
Team News 
Good to see Jadeja getting rested and Deepak Hooda getting a game. Maybe he will get 1 more in the next 2 games.
His final chance to break that WT20 squad door down. Shreyas Iyer is standing on shaky ground, like he is normally on a bouncy pitch!
— Cricketjeevi (@wildcardgyan) August 2, 2022
Opening the bowling for India is… Deepak Hooda#WIvIND
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 2, 2022
Deepak Hooda in, make it count.
— Manoj Dimri (@manoj_dimri) August 2, 2022
i know very well..but competition of axar and now deepak hooda..still he should my first one in t20 as allrounder!
— Kowshick Mallick (@kowshickphysics) August 2, 2022
Why iyer is in the team again!!
Really disappointed with the mgt…
With this form he is playing what wrong has sanju done ?
…!!!…..Hooda should be promote to no 3
— savage relive (@xmesjj) August 2, 2022
While listening to INDvsWI match commentary, noticed one thing – “When you see your partner playing better than you, give him the strike!”.
Let’s go bak 2-3 games & remember how well Hooda came into crease & took 80% of the strike from Samson & later ran him out as well. #selfish— Sumesh Kumar (@itz_sumeshks) August 2, 2022
One change for Team India – Deepak Hooda comes in place of Jadeja. #IndVsWI #PitchMemorabilia
— Pitch Memorabilia (@Pitchmemorabila) August 2, 2022
So Jadeja gonna delete indian team posts
#IndvsWI #Jadeja https://t.co/q2rM2KfNwt— Loner (@Memorieslives) August 2, 2022
The flexibility deepak hooda provides he should be definitely be there in Asia cup and world Cup squad! #IndvsWI
— Deepesh Kumar (@Deepesh38458556) August 2, 2022
Deepak Hooda @goldmedalindia
— ℝ𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕜 ℕ𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕪 (@TheRipSnorter_) August 2, 2022
Good to see they have rested Jadeja and see how the combination of Hardik & Hooda works out as 6th bowler and Hooda finishing skills at no.6 .#IndvsWI
— Slog Sweep-189 (@SloggSweep) August 2, 2022
Most Runs in the last 3 T20I innings
184 – Deepak Hooda
180 – Reeza Hendricks
156 – Suryakumar Yadav
152 – Babar Azam
148 – Mohd. Rizwan
147 – Jonny BairstowHendricks with 3 back-to-back Fifties and Bairstow with 3 consecutive Top scores for England.#ENGvSA | #WIvIND
— Cricbaba (@thecricbaba) August 1, 2022
