Memes flooded X (formerly Twitter) after Team India selectors decided to drop spin bowler Yuzvendra Chahal from the forthcoming Asia Cup squad.

India captain Rohit Sharma and chief national selector Ajit Agarkar's shocking decision to exclude leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal from the team's squad for the prestigious continental tournament left fans enraged.

Subsequently, the supporters of Men in Blue took to social media to express their reactions to the bombshell move.

 

 

Over the years, Yuzvendra Chahal has been a proven match-winner for India in white-ball cricket. Notably, the Haryana tweaker has collected 121 wickets in 72 ODIs for India, with the best figures of 6/42 against Australia in Melbourne in 2019.

Moreover, many experts believe wrist spinners are a commodity on the verge of extinction in international cricket, especially in limited-overs games. Over the world, most teams have deployed them to disrupt proceedings during the middle overs, primarily to take the opposition's wickets to keep their charge toward a big total in check.

Yuzvendra Chahal has been a vital cog in India's scheme of things in T20Is and 50-over games because of his ability to take wickets, something Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid have often asserted is vital for the side after the initial powerplay.

Yet on Monday, Yuzvendra Chahal's name was missing from India's 17-men Asia Cup squad. Under the above-explained circumstances, this news irked cricket lovers across the South Asian nation.

“Shami & Chahal are cricketers with extremely contrasting fortunes. Chahal gets to play in between the ICC tournaments, but gets left out in the main event, while Shami has been out of the scheme of things for T20Is, but played 4 WT20s at the last moment,” a Yuzvendra Chahal admirer wrote on a social media platform comparing his misfortune with the good luck of Mohammed Shami who has barely played bilateral white-ball cricket for India but somehow has always found a place in major competitions.

“Since Jan 2022, Chahal has played 16 ODIs and has picked 24 wickets including 3 4-fers. Harsh call to drop him suddenly? Axar wouldn't get a game if Jaddu and Hardik are fully fit. Maybe, we could have picked him in place of an extra batter or an all-rounder?” another commented.

“No Yuzvendra Chahal for Asia cup! Feel for him he always gives his best, performs every time he gets chance but whenever ICC tournaments is near he gets dropped,” a third stated.

“You may again see ASHWIN walking in into the ODI team just before World cup from nowhere. Kuldeep is permanent member of playing 11 in ODIs now. So I feel Ashwin can replace Chahal & he may lose his place, just because Rohit wants an off spinner. That's a sure shot possibility,” a fourth remarked.

Amid rising questions about his controversial Yuzvendra Chahal call, Ajit Agarkar explained the logic behind his name not featuring in the Asia Cup squad.

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“He is another terrific performer for India. But sometimes it is the balance of the team or the team combination. Axar (Patel) has done really well, and he can bat as well. Kuldeep (Yadav) has had a fantastic run. At this point, so to fit two wrist spinners might be difficult,” Ajit Agarkar told reporters in Delhi.

“Though we are to fit 15 guys later (for the World Cup), we are a little bit fortunate here to take a couple of extra guys. But unfortunately, at this point, it was difficult to fit two wrist spinners and Kuldeep is a little bit ahead of him, who gives us a different kind of option. So, he has to miss out, unfortunately,” the chairman of the national selectors further stated.

Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma explained the logic behind Yuzvendra Chahal's omission from the Asia Cup squad, emphasizing that Axar Patel's better batting ability went in his favor.

Unlike Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel has made significant contributions with the bat in the lower order in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and for the Indian cricket team in international matches.

“We also want someone who can bat at number eight and nine. Axar has had a great run with the bat in all formats and the IPL,” Rohit Sharma explained.

“We had a deep discussion about an off-spinner. And about a leg-spinner as well. Where the thing actually boils down is, the batting option at No. 8 and No. 9,” the India skipper said.

“We want somebody who can bat at that spot. Axar being Axar, he had a good run this year, and batted well in white-ball cricket, especially. He did not get a lot of opportunities in red-ball but he batted well in white-ball cricket, especially in the IPL. In the West Indies tour, he couldn't get a lot of opportunities because he bats at the backend. With him being there, it allows us the option of first having a left-hander whom we can use up the order and go in to play the spinners. He can do that for us,” Rohit Sharma elaborated.

“We thought about off-spinners as well, Ashwin and Washi as well but right now, Chahal has to miss out because we can only get 17 players there. The only way we could have done that (brought him in) is by taking one of the seamers out. We cannot really do that because seamers are going to play a big role in the next 2 months, considering the number of games in the next two months. Some of them are coming back after a long time. We wanted to get them in and see what they can do,” he pointed out.

“Having said that, No door is not closed for anyone at this point in time. Anyone can come in at any time. Chahal has played a lot of white-ball cricket, if we feel like we need him for the World Cup, we can try and see how we can squeeze him. So is the case with Ashwin and Washi. The option is open to everyone,” Rohit Sharma stressed.

Despite Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar defending their move, former cricketers, including Indian great Sourav Ganguly, Australia legend Matthew Hayden, and cricketer-turned-commentator Irfan Pathan were not happy with Yuzvendra Chahal's exclusion from Team India's Asia Cup squad.

“There're some big omissions. Chahal in particular, that leg-spinner is such a superb player and (it) must be tough for the selectors because they've also got another one in Kuldeep (Yadav)…. he's a superb player. So, they've gone for that as an option,” Matthew Hayden said in an interaction with PTI.

“I would pick Chahal. I would always pick wrist-spinners,” Sourav Ganguly said in an interview with Hindustan Times.

Sharing his views on the matter on X, previously Twitter, Irfan Pathan posted: “Worry for selectors that Bumrah and Prasidh coming back from long lay off. That’s one of the two reasons you will see Indian team playing with an extra bowler who can bat. I would have Chahal in my squad. What do you guys think?”

Ex-India opener Aakash Chopra reflected on the development and predicted that Yuzvendra Chahal's chances of securing a place in the Rohit Sharma-led side for the World Cup in October were grim.

“You are going with just one wrist-spinner in this tournament. I feel you won't be able to create a place for Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal for the World Cup as well because if it wasn't created here, it won't be created there as well unless there is an injury,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“I feel we have a slight obsession that we need a batter at No. 8. We have Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja), Axar (Patel) and Shardul Thakur, who can both bat and bowl. So you want all-rounders at No. 7 and No. 8 and because of that, you are unable to create a place for Yuzi Chahal,” he summed up.