World Cup 2023: One of India’s leading leg-spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal, finds himself in a conundrum. Despite his seasoned expertise and proven track record, Chahal has remained conspicuously absent from Team India’s lineup in recent months, raising many eyebrows. With him missing out on significant tournaments and series, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has weighed in on the matter, providing some candid insights.
Chahal’s Prolonged Absence:
The talented leg-spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, hasn’t donned the blue jersey for India for quite some time now. After being sidelined from events like the Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, he was also noticeably absent from the recent ODI series against Australia.
Harbhajan’s Stance on the Issue:
World Cup 2023: Renowned ex-cricketer Harbhajan Singh expressed his befuddlement over Chahal’s continued omission from the Indian team during a session on his YouTube channel. He articulated, “It’s baffling that Chahal isn’t in the squad, especially considering many key players are being rested. Unless there’s been an altercation or some strong disagreement with Chahal, it’s hard to justify his exclusion based purely on cricketing merit.”
Chahal’s Recent Outings:
The last time Chahal represented India was in a match against the West Indies in July. Since then, he’s been absent from both the Asia Cup 2023 roster and the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 team.
A Glance at Chahal’s Impressive Career:
World Cup 2023: The 33-year-old Yuzvendra Chahal has had a commendable cricket journey. In his ODI career, spanning 72 matches, he’s scalped 121 wickets. Furthermore, he boasts of 96 wickets in 80 T20 games, underlining his versatility and value as a spinner.
India’s Line-up for the First Two Matches:
IND vs AUS: As Chahal remains absent, the Indian team for the initial matches against Australia includes: KL Rahul (captain & wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mo Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
While Team India marches forward, the enigma of Chahal’s omission remains. As cricket enthusiasts and experts alike ponder over the decision, one can only hope that talent like Chahal finds its rightful place soon.