Swapneel Deshpande 
As excitement builds for the upcoming ODI World Cup hosted exclusively by India, reports have emerged about the provisional squad, leaving former cricketer Aakash Chopra questioning the omission of promising talent Tilak Varma.
According to reports, the selectors have identified 15 players for the provisional squad, but Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna, both part of the 17-member Asia Cup squad, did not make the cut. Additionally, Sanju Samson, who served as a traveling reserve during the Asia Cup, was also left out.
Aakash Chopra expressed his dissatisfaction with Tilak Varma’s exclusion, emphasizing that the young southpaw could have provided India with a part-time bowling option due to his off-spin skills, which are lacking in Suryakumar Yadav, who is included in the squad.
“The question will remain that you have kept Suryakumar Yadav, and I love him to bits, but the truth is that he too doesn’t bowl and in ODIs, his numbers are also not that good. You picked Tilak Varma (in the Asia Cup squad) but why did you pick him? You wouldn’t have picked him just to bat in the nets in the Asia Cup,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
You said he is very promising and has a lot of potential but neither did you play him in the last match (against Pakistan) nor will you play him in this match (against Nepal), and will not put his name in the provisional squad as well,” he concluded.
Chopra questioned the rationale behind picking Tilak Varma for the Asia Cup if he was not going to be considered for the World Cup provisional squad. He pointed out that while Suryakumar Yadav is a talented player, he does not contribute as a bowler, and his ODI performance statistics are not outstanding.
Regarding Tilak Varma’s performances, Chopra highlighted his impressive debut T20I series against the West Indies, where he scored 173 runs in five matches with an average of 57.67 and a strike rate of 140.65. However, he acknowledged that the youngster had a challenging time during the Ireland tour, scoring 0 and 1 in two games.
Aakash Chopra’s commentary reflects the ongoing discussions and debates surrounding team selections, particularly for major tournaments like the World Cup. The final squad announcement will undoubtedly draw significant attention as India prepares to host this prestigious cricketing event.
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