It was 8.55 pm on a Wednesday night, still 35 minutes from the unofficial deadline in Indian cricket.
Something strange happened, Indian cricket breached its own deadline by releasing information about India’s T20I squad for the series against West Indies.
This was new chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s first day in office, so technically it was meant to be a big bang announcement. But the email did not signify anything new from India's new chairman of selectors or his panel.
It was more of the same as you would expect with the Indian cricket system which is averse to change at most times.
Since the end of the T20 World Cup last year, there has been hope and much discussion that India’s T20I squad would undergo a massive change. But once you start putting down the names you realise that the options are very limited.
IPL-Based Selection
The Indian Premier League (IPL) , now the much accepted basis for selecting India’s T20I squads, has once again been the barometer for picking the squad for the West Indies series. The selectors have resisted too many experiments in their first attempt as a panel.
Tilak Varma is the big new hope in the middle-order who has been picked after two successive IPL seasons full of runs. That he can bowl a bit, if required, as well if required is a heartening sign.
The squad, if you have a closer look, has several one-dimensional players which has been the bane of India’s T20I cricket for a while. A lot of the players do just one thing on a cricket field and that is not ideal because it does not give the skipper any kind of flexibility.
If you see the squad, the batters and bowlers are talented, skilful but lack something extra that can benefit a skipper majorly in a tight situation. There may be times when India ends up playing with four Number XIs in their line-up like in the other two formats-Tests and ODIs.
Mumbai Indians player Tilak Verma has earned a call-up to the Indian T20I squad for the tour of West Indies
(Photo: BCCI)
India’s stated ambition as a T20I squad according to their skipper Hardik Pandya was to have as many bowling options as possible and be flexible with the batting order. But that hardly seems to be the case when you look at the squad for the West Indies series.
Hooda, Sundar Left Out
The likes of all-rounders Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar, very much part of the scheme of things since the new regime began in T20I cricket are no longer part of it. Instead, we have specialists taking their place. Hooda and Sundar’s poor returns in the recent IPL played a part. Sundar in fact was out of the IPL very early because of an injury.
The IPL form also played a part in Rahul Tripathi being left out of the line-up after he showed much promise in India colours in the T20Is.
The other batters have picked themselves, especially the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal after a breathtaking IPL season.
It is among the bowlers that one has a lot of queries but as is the wont of Indian cricket we will not get any answers. So, keep asking!
Ravi Bishnoi is back in the T20I line-up, but don’t we already have Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the squad? Would it not have been better to go for a Rahul Tewatia who can offer a bit of both?
Axar Patel is in the mix, which means Ravindra Jadeja gets a break. But that does not mean Jadeja is completely out of the T20I picture.
But questions must be asked about the selection of Avesh Khan. During the recent IPL, Khan did not have much to do with the ball, except his display of emotions after scoring the winning run against Bangalore. Khan’s last foray in T20I cricket was forgettable. He was thrashed summarily last year by all kinds of batters. So, selectors must have seen something that none of us have in Khan for the T20I format.
Avesh Khan last played for India during the Asia Cup on 31 August, 2022.
(Photo: BCCI)
The other bowlers have been picked based on consistency. But what happened to Shivam Mavi? He bowled well in a short time that he played T20I cricket for India. Did the fact that Mavi did not feature in a single game for Gujarat Titans, led by Hardik Pandya, play a part in his non-selection this time? Again, questions for which we will never get answers.
You may well argue that the options are limited as far as the dual-purpose players are concerned, but there has been no attempt to find them as well. The recent IPL also did not throw up options that would have made the selectors pick them right away.
Perhaps you could argue that the Emerging Asia Cup could provide some clues with the likes of Rajvardhan Hangargekar being given a chance.
India’s T20I squad can only hope to win titles if they start picking players with more than one skill. The squad for the West Indies series has just two such players in skipper Pandya and Patel.
No Rohit or Virat
The selection of the T20I squad once again sent out a message loud and clear that the door is shut on India’s current Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, along side the other veteran Virat Kohli. Since the end of the T20 World Cup last year both have not played a single game in the format.
Yet for some reason Indian cricket has been squeamish about admitting that they have started looking beyond the duo in the format. Before the ODI World Cup, the think-tank wants to avoid making bombastic statements. But the writing is on The Wall (oops not the one you think)!
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have once again been left out of the T20I side.
(Photo: IANS)
Among the other performers of the IPL who have been given a miss there has been a lot of talk about Rinku Singh not getting a look in. But the fact is that Singh’s time will come sooner rather than later. There are already several one-dimensional players in the line-up. With skipper Pandya already in the mix lower down the order, it would have been difficult to pick Singh as well.
Mohit Sharma with his grand comeback for Gujarat Titans perhaps deserved a look in as well. But that again will happen soon.
The rest of the squad has picked itself quite effortlessly.
From the last T20I series against New Zealand at home the following were not considered:
Prithvi Shaw
Rahul Tripathi
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Deepak Hooda
Washington Sundar
Jitesh Sharma
Shivam Mavi
Of this lot, Jitesh had come in as a replacement for an injured Sanju Samson, but he is very much on the T20I radar, while Gaikwad’s turn again will come soon.
Jitesh Sharma has not been included in the T20I squad for the West Indies series.
(Photo: BCCI)
With a three-match T20I series scheduled in Ireland shortly after the West Indies sojourn some of the players who missed out could well get a look-in again. Then there is also the Asian Games which can provide some opportunities for the fringe players in the T20I format.
Now it is just down to the selectors to give them an opportunity at the right time and for the players to grab them. Just do not wait for the clock to strike 9 pm this time to make that opportunity count.
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