BCCI announced the Indian squad that will take part in the T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in UAE and Oman on Wednesday. The selected team had a couple of surprise inclusions and exclusions.
While the addition of experienced R Ashwin and Akshar Patel came as surprise inclusions, exclusions of Shreyas Iyer and Yuzvendra Chahal were not predicted.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra said that he was shocked by Chahal’s exclusion. The bowler has been India’s premier spinner for a few years now.
"I am actually shocked. I took it for granted that Yuzvendra Chahal would be there as he's your No.1 T20 spinner. He's probably the second-best T20 leg-spinner in the world after Rashid Khan. You picked five spinners and there's no Yuzvendra Chahal. That's not surprising. It's shocking. Five spinners in a squad is a luxury and you don't need that many spin bowlers in a tournament," Chopra told ESPNCricinfo.
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Chahal has played 49 T20Is for India and has picked 63 wickets at an economy of 8.32 runs per over.
Deepak Chahar, who was expected to be included in the 15-member squad, was included as a standby player. Aakash Chopra said that the pace-bowling all-rounder should have been selected as a backup for Hardik Pandya, especially when Pandya is out of form.
"We don't know Hardik Pandya's bowling prowess and will have to see it during the IPL. They have no backup for Hardik and there are only three specialist pacers in the squad. There are two major exclusions. Yuzvendra Chahal missing out is shocking and Deepak Chahar's exclusion is surprising too, as he also gives you wickets with the new ball,” he said.
Chopra added that Chahar could be selected ahead of Shami as the latter leaks more than nine runs an over in T20Is.
"Mohammad Shami, as a good a bowler he is, doesn't have impressive numbers in T20s. Between the two, I would have gone for Deepak Chahar."
The tournament will begin on 17 October and the final will be played on November 14.
