''I can't fathom why he was omitted from the T20 World Cup squad" - Virender Sehwag on Yuzvendra Chahal
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has questioned national selectors for overlooking leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal from India T20 World Cup squad 2021.
Speaking at CricBuzz Live, Sehwag opined that Chahal is a street-smart T20 bowler. So the selectors must provide an explanation for omitting him from the T20 World Cup squad. He added that the Haryana leg-spinner is an asset for a T20 team, saying:
"Chahal was bowling well in the past also. I can't fathom why he was omitted from the T20 World Cup squad. The selectors should provide the explanation. It's not like Rahul Chahar bowled extraordinarily in Sri Lanka. The way Chahal is bowling, he will be an asset for any side in T20 cricket.'
Harshal Patel was spectacular and Yuzvendra Chahal showed why he is such a smart cricketer. Graet win for @RCBTweets . Still see India tweaking the final 15 for the World Cup. #RCBvMI
The former cricketer pinpointed Chahal and Maxwell's spell during the middle overs as the turning point of the game between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians.
"He knows how to bowl in his format, how to take wickets. The game was set up today by (Glenn) Maxwell and (Yuzvendra) Chahal. They took wickets in the middle orders which led to a turnaround," said Sehwag.
Chahal was at his absolute best on Sunday evening. The right-arm wrist-spinner gave away just 11 runs in his four overs while claiming three wickets, including the prized scalps of Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan.
''I'll always go back to experience for a tournament like the World Cup'' - Ashish Nehra on Yuzvendra Chahal's omission
Meanwhile, former left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra said that he would always prefer experience for a marquee event like the World Cup.
Questioning Chahal's omission from the 2021 T20 World Cup squad, Nehra said that the RCB spinner hasn't done so badly that the selectors did not find him worthy of being one of the five spinners they have picked.
Nehra added that while Rahul Chahar has done well, he hasn't done anything extraordinary to pip Chahal for a spot in the World Cup team. He said:
"I'll always go back to experience for a tournament like the World Cup. It's not like Rahul Chahar has done something extraordinary or Chahal has done extremely poorly."
"It's not that Chahar hasn't done well, but Chahal has been playing for a long time. In international cricket, a youngster gets a chance either when the incumbent is performing poorly or when the former turns out to be a rare talent. Neither is true in the current context," continued Nehra.
The former seamer urged Chahal to continue doing the hard work and await his next opportunity, saying:
"The key for Chahal now is for him to continue performing in the remainder of the season and wait for future opportunities.''
Chahal was omitted from India's T20 squad after a prolonged period of underwhelming performances in T20Is. Since the start of 2020, he has managed 11 wickets in 13 T20Is at an average of 41.36 and an economy rate of 8.92.
The spinner struggled in the first leg of the current IPL season, but seems to have regained his mojo in the UAE.