3 Indian players whose careers got affected under Chetan Sharma-led selection panel
The BCCI have reportedly sacked the selection committee of the Indian men's cricket team, including the chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma. The decision seemed to be made after the Men in Blue crashed out of the T20 World Cup following an embarrassing 10-wicket loss in the semifinals against England.
Quite a few decisions were made by this selection panel during their tenure, which raised eyebrows. The Men in Blue failed to win silverware for two consecutive T20 World Cups within a span of 12 months and that proved to be the final nail in the coffin of this panel.
While a number of fresh faces got the opportunity to represent the Indian team, there were some players who would be feeling hard done by due to some of the decisions made by Chetan Sharma and co. Let's take a look at three such players:
#3 Prithvi Shaw
The Instagram story of Prithvi Shaw. https://t.co/wAT0vRp3vQ
Prithvi Shaw is arguably one of the most destructive openers in Indian domestic circuit at the moment. He also had an incredible IPL 2021 season for the Delhi Capitals and many felt that would be enough for him to get a look into the Indian white-ball team.
However, that wasn't to be as Shaw has played just a solitary T20I for India to date. He wasn't even selected in the second-string squads that travelled to Ireland, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
While Chetan Sharma mentioned in his last press conference that the selectors were in communication with Shaw, the latter posted some cryptic Instagram stories which show that everything wasn't good.
With opening being a serious issue in T20Is after the T20 World Cup debacle, it is baffling that Shaw didn't get a call-up for the New Zealand tour.
#2 Ravi Bishnoi
Comeback is always stronger than setback
Breaking out as the highest wicket-taker in the 2020 U19 World Cup, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was fast-tracked into the Indian team. The selectors picked him for the home series against West Indies in 2021 and the youngster has been impressive in whatever opportunities he has had since then.
Bishnoi also outbowled Yuzvendra Chahal in the Asia Cup, including a fantastic performance against Pakistan. So it came as a shock when the Rajasthan spinner wasn't even picked in the main squad for the T20 World Cup.
Moreover, Chetan Sharma named four overall squads for the New Zealand and Bangladesh tours, but Bishnoi didn't feature in any of them. It is astonishing that a spinner who was in the reserves for the T20 World Cup, doesn't find a place even in the second-string Indian squad.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzi Chahal.
Last World Cup we didn’t even select him.
This WC, we selected him but didn’t play him.
That’s the sad story of our two T20 World Cups.
Instead we relied on a big name player bcos he apparently bowls well against left handers and can also bat!
Arguably the player most affected by Chetan Sharma's inconsistent decisions has been leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The second half of the IPL 2021 season was played in the UAE, just a month before the T20 World Cup.
Chahal was on fire, being Royal Challengers Bangalore's best bowler, and took them almost single-handedly to the playoffs. It seemed a no-brainer that he would be included in India's T20 World Cup squad.
However, the chairman of selectors picked Rahul Chahar, saying that he is 'quicker through the air' and would have more impact in the UAE conditions. This baffled many fans as Chahar was nowhere near as effective as Chahal. It is equally baffling that Chahal is yet to play a T20 World Cup game.