Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar doubts India’s playing XI selection during India vs Sri Lanka ongoing ODI series. Gavaskar’s comments take a dig at players like Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul who have been favoured throughout the ODI series despite other players in-form before the series. Rahul failed to tackle spinner Akila Dananjaya but Ajinkya Rahane could not make into the side despite being the top-scorer of the recently concluded India’s tour of West Indies. Rahul got out Dananjaya thrice in the series in a matter of 11 balls but Rahane was seen on the sidelines warming the bench. Similarly, Manish Pandey too got his chance in the
Similarly, Manish Pandey too got his chance in the fourth ODI despite performing well for India A and in the Indian Premier League (IPL) before that.
Gavaskar wrote in his column for The Times of India, “The way the selections have gone for this series, it looks like all the nice guys are being left out and they are missing out on fattening their individual career aggregates with bat or ball,”
“Maybe they should start getting a different hair style and some body art done too to get picked in the team.”
“India had made changes on expected lines with the unassuming trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kedar Jadhav and Yuzvendra Chahal being left out of the side. Rahul got yet another chance while the top scorer of the just-concluded one-day series in the West Indies – Ajinkya Rahane – sat out once again,” he added.
“After the magnificent partnership between Rohit Sharma and skipper Kohli had been broken, it was expected that Rahul would come in to bat. He would have had time to settle down and get his eye in. Instead, it was Hardik Pandya who was sent in earlier. It didn’t make much of a difference as Sharma got out next over so Rahul came in but never looked settled and he once again failed to pick Dananjaya’s wrong one. It is understandable to keep the faith in a player but not at the expense of an in-form batsman who has done nothing wrong to be sitting out.”
