Asia Cup 2023: Earlier this week, a noteworthy event unfolded on Monday as the BCCI unveiled the 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to kick off next week in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The announcement, conveyed via a press conference, saw the presence of India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, and BCCI’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar. During the announcement, Agarkar hinted that this chosen squad is expected to form the core for the upcoming World Cup 2023 that comes after the Asia Cup. However, former South African Cricketer AB De Villiers have been left baffled by the squad.
AB De Villiers surprised with Chahal’s exclusion
Nevertheless, the exclusion of certain players from the roster has sparked conversations, particularly the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal. The choice to omit the wrist-spinner has prompted inquiries, as the team’s inclination seems to lean toward Kuldeep Yadav. Chahal’s noticeable absence has drawn considerable attention, with numerous voices criticizing his non-inclusion. The latest addition to the list of critics is AB de Villiers.
The presence of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the squad has brought a sigh of relief to both fans and team management. The inclusion of these two players, who were sidelined due to injuries, signifies encouraging strides forward. Agarkar also assured that Iyer has fully recovered, while Rahul’s involvement in the early stages of the Asia Cup could be affected by a minor injury issue.
What did ABD say?
The ex-South African skipper, who was a teammate of Chahal at Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, expressed his disappointment about the leg-spinner’s exclusion from the team. Speaking on his YouTube channel, ABD said, “Chahal has been dropped, selectors making their intentions clear who they will be picking. It’s a bit of a disappointing drop for me, Yuzi is always very handy and it’s great to have the leg-spinning option in your team. We know how skilful he is.”
Chahal’s performance in the fifty-over format has been inconsistent for a while. During the recent ODI series against West Indies, he was not given any opportunity to play. In the T20Is, Chahal managed to take five wickets in five matches, but his economy rate was relatively higher at 9.05. The Asia Cup 2023 is set to start on August 30, with India commencing their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2.
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