Netizens slammed Team India after Rohit Sharma chose to bench Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Guwahati.
Fans alleged that both Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan were “victims” of India's now infamous workload management because the two men have been in red-hot form of late.
Are Surya Yadav and Ishan Kishan victims of ' Workload Management ' ? No think tank would ever drop a player who is enjoying his rhythm.
— Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) January 10, 2023
Selection of playing eleven of Indian team is now out of the box !!! Ishan Kishan scored a double and he is out of team which may be a part of World Cup strategy but keeping @surya_14kumar out is very ordinary decision who is in sublime touch from last couple of years
— Amit Joshi (@joshiamitjoshi) January 10, 2023
@BCCI Why Surya or Ishan are out from this match and why KL Rahul is in if we have Ishan??? Really some shocking decisions no preparation for world cup. Traditional approach Ishan or Surya should hv more chances by seeing their current form. No words…
— A Sanatani (@ASanatani011) January 10, 2023
Now pursuing with KL Rahul, trying to fit him in the XI and for that they are even forcing him on us as a wicketkeeper. Ishan Kishan IS a wicketkeeper. And how do you justify keeping @surya_14kumar out? He is in the form of his life! Bizarre!
— कुमार आदित्य (@Kumarvellous) January 10, 2023
For the unversed, Suryakumar Yadav scored his 3rd T20I ton against the same opponents last weekend, breaking multiple world records in the process.
Surya took the Sri Lankan bowling apart in a masterful exhibition of 360-degree batting at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium.
Showing why he’s ranked No.1 in T20I cricket, Suryakumar Yadav, or SKY as he’s fondly called, slammed an unbeaten 112 off 51 balls, including 9 sixes and 7 boundaries to power India to a mammoth total of 228/5.
It was the middle-order batter’s third ton in T20Is in only seven months since he struck his maiden hundred against England in July. With his century against Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav became the first non-opener in the history of T20Is to hit three centuries.
In the process, SKY also became the quickest to complete 1,500 runs in the shortest format of the sport.
In 45 T20Is so far, the 32-year-old cricketer has made 1,578 runs with a highly impressive average of 46.41 and a stunning strike rate of 180.34. During his brief career for India, Suryakumar Yadav has already smashed three centuries and 13 fifties.
On the other hand, Ishan Kishan smashed a double hundred in his last ODI game against Bangladesh last month.
In December, the India opener made history against Bangladesh as he smashed the quickest double century in One-Day Internationals.
Ishan Kishan cracked a double hundred in only 126 deliveries, going past West Indies great Chris Gayle who accomplished the same feat in 138 balls against Zimbabwe in 2015.
With his double century against Bangladesh, Ishan Kishan became just the fourth Indian and the seventh batter overall to register a score of 200 in ODIs.
Before him, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, the explosive Virender Sehwag, and current skipper Rohit Sharma have accomplished the milestone.
The left-hander also went past Rohit Sharma to become the youngest double-centurion in ODIs. While Ishan Kishan made his maiden double hundred at the age of 24 years and 145 days, Rohit Sharma did it when he was 26 years and 186 days old against the mighty Australians in Bengaluru in 2013.
“Ishan Kishan and SKY who scored a double century and a century respectively in their last match, are excluded from the playing XI today. And KL Rahul is in the team. Team India's selection strategy is sourced from the peak of Mount Bullshit,” a fan wrote on Twitter.
“Someone who is in the form of his life with the white ball, doesn't find a place in the Indian ODI playing XI, someone who scored a double century in last ODI doesn’t find a place either. This is insane,” another added.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill revealed captain Rohit Sharma informed him that he would be playing the match, and not Ishan Kishan.
“It feels good when the team captain backs you. This was the conversation in the practice as well, that I will be playing. Rahul bhai (Dravid) also told me to just play my natural game… whatever I have been doing in the one-dayers, continue doing that,” Shubman Gill said on Star Sports.
“I was definitely disappointed when I got out on 70 because I had done all the hard work to get going and get a big one for the team,” the 23-year-old added.
“I have batted with Rohit bhai before in Australia, mainly in the Tests. It is nice to bat with him. The conversation generally when we were in the middle is, which bowler to target? What are they trying to do? Where are they trying to block our runs? And accordingly we make our plans,” Shubman Gill elaborated.
Despite Shubman Gill explaining Rohit Sharma's thought process behind his inclusion at the expense of Ishan Kishan, cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar was left baffled by the move.
He stated that Ishan Kishan would have provided India with a left and right opening combination, something the Men in Blue have been lacking since Shikhar Dhawan was dropped from the side.
“I can understand their logic for not going Surya as all the great innings that we have seen from him have come in T20Is. Shubman Gill is getting a long run but why give the same run to Kishan? He got a double hundred. He will bring the left and right-hand combination. I am always disappointed when India don't pick Kuldeep Yadav. In 50-overs cricket, I will always have him. You saw the impact he had in Bangladesh Tests,” Sanjay Manjrekar signed off.
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