Surprised not to see Gill, Rahane in ODI squad: Ganguly
Former Indian cricket team skipper Sourav Ganguly said that he is surprised not to see senior batsman Ajinkya Rahane and youngster Shubman Gill in India's ODI squad. The Indian team is set to play West Indies in a full fledged series starting August 3. Rahane features in the Test squad, whereas, Gill was overlooked completely. Here's more.
Ganguly bats for Rahane and Gill's inclusion
India opted for Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey for the three-match ODI series against West Indies. They even dropped wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik. Ganguly said he would have liked to see the experienced Rahane and the dashing Gill in the side. He questioned the selectors for not picking players who can fit in all three formats. He believes it will help them find rhythm.
Great teams had consistent players: Ganguly
India have been guilty of too many changes
Team India has been guilty of constantly changing the squad. Every series feature new faces, players don't the time to settle in and they are not allowed to fail. India's middle order has struggled due to this and the same was evident in the 2019 ICC World Cup. Also, apart from a few established names, there is uncertainty all around.
Only handful of Indian players feature in all three formats
In batting, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant are playing all formats. In bowling, the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and the three premier pacers (Bumrah, Shami and Bhuvi) are prominent names in all the series. However, Dada feels there are many players out there that deserve the backing of selectors. And he backed Rahane and Gill for the 50-over format.
Dada left surprised by India's ODI squad
Gill stood out for India A against West Indies A
Gill is a promising young player and perhaps it's the right time for him to be groomed alongside Pant in this Indian team. Recently, the versatile batsman amassed 218 runs for India A against West Indies A. He smashed three fifties and helped India win the unofficial series 4-1. Despite a promising show, Gill was overlooked by the selectors.
Gill disappointed after being overlooked
"I was waiting for the Indian senior team to be announced on Sunday and I expected to be selected for at least one of the squads. It was disappointing not to get picked," said Gill to CricketNext.
Curious case of Rahane's ODI exclusion continues
Meanwhile, Rahane's exclusion came as a surprise. He is a player who has featured across all formats. But now he has been limited to just Test cricket. Despite having a good average in ODIs, he was never a part of India's plans Many players were tried in the middle-order post that, but Rahane never got a chance. It is time selectors start backing players.
