3 players who were lucky to be picked in India's squad for South Africa ODI series
Following the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup, the ODI format is unlikely to be at the top of Team India's priorities in the immediate future. With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, the Men in Blue might want to direct their white-ball resources in that direction.
India have named a second-string squad for the upcoming three-game ODI series against South Africa. The assignment coincides with a couple of red-ball games, one of which will be an intra-squad match featuring almost all of the side's touring contingent.
India’s squad for the ODIs vs South Africa: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (c) (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar.
There were a couple of welcome additions to the squad, including the uncapped duo of B Sai Sudharsan and Rajat Patidar. At the same time, though, there were also some contentious calls made by the selectors.
Here are three Indian players who were lucky to be picked in India's squad for the ODI series against South Africa.
#3 Deepak Chahar
On paper, Deepak Chahar could be a valuable ODI asset. The all-rounder has had a par start to his career, with 203 runs and 16 wickets in 13 games. His batting ability and powerplay threat are the biggest factors in his favor.
However, it has been close to a year since Chahar played an ODI, and he wasn't in the picture at all in the lead-up to the World Cup. Now that the focus is on the long run, shouldn't India be turning to younger players who will form the core of the team in years to come?
Most importantly, Chahar's fitness has let him down on plenty of occasions lately. There are signs to suggest that even the shortest format of the game might damage his fragile body, and playing him in 50-over cricket might not be the smartest idea for all parties involved.
#2 Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh has played only three ODIs, with no wickets at an economy rate of 6.76. It has been more than a year since he represented the Men in Blue in the format, being another player the selectors ignored ahead of the World Cup.
Despite several other promising fast bowlers impressing in domestic white-ball cricket, including Harshit Rana, Mohsin Khan and Yash Thakur, Arshdeep has found a place in the ODI side. The left-armer has been in woeful form lately, with both his consistency and smarts letting him down on plenty of occasions.
Unlike Chahar, Arshdeep has many years left at the top level, so it's understandable that India want to take advantage of his obvious potential. However, as things stand, there are other more deserving names who could have been considered.
#1 Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal was a late exclusion from Team India's World Cup squad, with the Men in Blue opting to select additional players in the fast-bowling and batting departments to add bench strength.
After the snub, Chahal was expected to slowly fade away from the ODI scheme of things. The leg-spinner had come up with underwhelming performances for the better part of four years, and it seemed like India needed to move on to a bowler more suited to the demands of the modern game.
However, Chahal is now back in the ODI squad, presumably as a backup for the impressive Kuldeep Yadav. India's leg-spin options are admittedly thin, but the likes of Rahul Chahar have proven themselves to be capable 50-over bowlers on the domestic circuit.
Chahal, who has played only two ODIs in 2023, can consider himself fortunate to be part of India's squad for the South Africa series.