Former India opener Aakash Chopra slammed the BCCI selectors for snubbing mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy for the upcoming Asian Games 2022 which will be played in China’s Hangzhou from September 23 onwards.
The BCCI announced a second-string team earlier this week, with Ruturaj Gaikwad serving as the team's captain. The Asian Games, which are slated for September-October, present a chance for the side's bench strength to make a difference while the first squad gears up for the home ODI World Cup in October this year.
The likes of Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh, and Tilak Varma, who all enjoyed solid outings in the season, are a part of the squad. Among bowlers, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, and Shivam Mavi – who have all represented India previously – have been included.
However, there's one glaring absence from the India squad for the Asian Games – Varun Chakaravarthy. He performed extremely well for KKR in IPL 2023 picking up 20 wickets and his exclusion from the Asian Games 2022 was noticed by Aakash Chopra.
“Prima facie if you see this team, you feel they have made a good team. Such types of names could only have been there in this team. Is there any name missing? The biggest name I see missing is Varun Chakaravarthy.
You had played him in the T20 World Cup in Dubai. Then he got dropped quickly but if you see the last IPL, he was one of the finest spinners. He is one name who I expected to be a part of this team but he is not there,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
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Though he didn’t criticize the inclusion of spinners like Bishnoi, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Washington Sundar, he still stressed Chakaravarthy being snubbed who averaged 21.45 and bowled at an economy rate of 8.14 this IPL season.
"The spinners you have picked, it might not make a huge difference, because the level might not be that challenging here, you have Ravi Bishnoi - who is a proper spinner, there is no doubt about that.
You have Washington Sundar, who gives you overs, although he bowled very few overs for his franchise. He keeps fighting injuries. The third is Shahbaz Ahmed. He played for India as well in between, so it is right if you see from that angle but I feel there could have been a place for Varun Chakaravarthy,” said Chopra.
(Hindustan Times inputs)
