Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at the selectors for the exclusion of Ajinkya Rahane from the T20I squad to face Australia. Rahane had scored 4 consecutive half-centuries in the recently concluded ODI series and looked in top form.
The Little Master questioned the tactics of the selectors for dropping Rahane and keeping KL Rahul in the side who didn’t get to play a single ODI against Australia. Rahul hadn’t performed well in the opportunities that he got on the Sri Lanka tour but Rahane has cashed in on every little chance he got in the recent past in limited overs cricket.
“Why do you say it is understandable? Man who gets four consecutive fifties, why he is not in the team? KL Rahul is a fine player, but KL Rahul didn’t play a single game in the five One-Day games. So why is he in the team and Rahane who has got four half-centuries, not in the team. So don’t say it’s understandable,” said Sunil Gavaskar in an interview with NDTV.
“Some reason has to be given by the selection committee. A man who does not find a place in the team for the last five or six games for India still finds a place in T20 when the man who has played after the fourth One-Day International in Sri Lanka and has scored four half-centuries hasn’t,” he added.
Happy with Nehra’s selection
The T20I squad witnessed the inclusion of the 38-year-old Ashish Nehra. The pacer has had a couple of impressive IPLs and Gavaskar is happy that the selectors rewarded the veteran pacer for his hard work.
“The moment somebody passes 30-32, everybody is looking to have him dropped from the team. So I am really happy with that selection because Ashish Nehra can contribute with the ball. He is still picking wickets, he is still stopping runs, and that’s I think is a great sign. We in India are so obsessed with youth that I am surprised we don’t find six years seven years old in the Indian team,” concluded Gavaskar.
