New Delhi: After weeks of deliberation, the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The 15-member twin squads for the ODI and T20I series were announced on Thursday, July 18. There were plenty of surprise inclusions and exclusions in both squads – the biggest being the selection of Suryakumar Yadav as India’s new T20I captain ahead of Hardik Pandya.
The squad selection drew a lot of criticism over some of the choices in both ODIs and T20I squads and raised plenty of burning questions.
Why was Shubman Gill selected as India’s first-choice vice-captain in T20Is?
While the captaincy selection in T20Is triggered a massive debate, Shubman Gill’s appointment as vice-captain is also a debatable decision. Choosing a vice-captain, who wasn’t even part of the T20 World Cup squad is quite surprising. Yes, Gill led India to victory in the recently-concluded Zimbabwe series, but his captaincy came under the scanner. Gill was exposed as a captain in the Indian Premier League 2024 as Gujarat Titans endured a horrendous season. Gill is a classic example of the famous saying: A great player is not always a great captain.
Why always Sanju?
Luck hasn’t favoured Sanju Samson when it comes to selection in Indian squads. And it was no different for the Sri Lanka series. While the wicketkeeper batter managed to retain his place in the T20I squad, he failed to find a place in the ODI setup despite notching up a century in his last appearance in the format. Samson ended a long wait for his maiden century by smashing 108 in the series decider against South Africa in Paarl in December 2023. Like several fans, former India bowler Dodda Ganesh questioned BCCI’s decision to drop him from the ODI squad.
Shivam Dube in place of Sanju Samson in the ODIs is ridiculous. Poor Sanju scored a century in his last series against SA. Why him always? My heart goes out to this young man #SLvIND
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) July 18, 2024
Why no Abhishek and Ruturaj in either team?
The exclusions of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma raised many eyebrows. Both batters had a great outing against Zimbabwe but neither managed to find a place in either squad. Gaikwad was one of the top performers on the tour, scoring 133 runs in three innings at an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33, finishing as India’s third-highest run-getter. Similarly, Abhishek Sharma was overlooked despite smashing a magnificent century in the second T20I.
India’s squad selection for Sri Lanka tour drew a lot of criticism and raised plenty of burning questions. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
