"Only Suryakumar Yadav & the team management can provide some clarity" - Gautam Gambhir questions exclusion of Shreyas Iyer & Ravi Bishnoi in 2nd T20I
Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir questioned the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi from India's playing XI in the second T20I against South Africa at Gqeberha.
While Iyer scored a crucial 53 in the final game of India's T20I series win against Australia, Bishnoi was the Player of the Series with nine wickets. The leg-spinner's impressive showing led to him becoming the No.1 T20I spinner in the world.
Speaking to Star Sports, Gambhir expressed surprise that the duo not being part of the 11 against the Proteas.
"I don't know what could be the reason [behind Shreyas' omission]. He just scored a half-century in the last game in Bengaluru. Now what could the reason be – whether they were looking at left-handers or Iyer has a niggle –only team management can answer it."
He continued:
"But yeah, like PC said, if the world No.1-ranked T20I bowler is not in your Playing XI… and don't forget. This is not your main team – you giving youngsters chances here. Only Suryakumar Yadav and the team management can provide some clarity."
Primary spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja returning to the T20 squad, in all likelihood, led to Bishnoi's unfortunate exclusion.
However, the move did not pay dividends as India suffered a five-wicket loss to fall 0-1 behind with a game remaining.
"Don't know whether they are trying to rectify that (left-right combination) or just players getting picked on merit" - Sanjay Manjrekar
Another former Indian batter, Sanjay Manjrekar, was also bepuzzled by Shreyas Iyer's omission from the playing XI for the second T20I against South Africa.
However, he felt the move may have been to alternate between right and left-handers in the batting order, an issue heavily questioned during the recent World Cup.
"If you remember the batting line up at the World Cup, they had 6 right-handers. And today, it's right-hander, left-hander, right-hander, left-hander and so on. So that's a big change from the kind of batting styles that India have. Two different formats but I don't know whether they are trying to rectify that or just players getting picked on merit. Picky about Ruturaj Gaikwad, surprised that Iyer is not in the team," said Manjrekar on Star Sports.
While Ruturaj Gaikwad's exclusion was due to the batter's illness, Iyer not playing remains a puzzle.
However, India's middle order performed admirably after both openers, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, fell for ducks. Tilak Varma began the counter-attack with a 20-ball 29 at No.3, followed by half-centuries from Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh.
Despite posting a formidable 180/7 in 19.3 overs in a rain-interrupted game, the bowlers failed to defend the score.
The third and final T20I will be played at Johannesburg on Thursday, December 14.