India’s leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has responded to his omission from the Asia Cup 2023 squad with a cryptic post on social media. The announcement of India’s squad for the Continental tournament left many surprised as Chahal was not included in the lineup. Instead, India opted for Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja as the three spin options.
The team’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, revealed the 17-member squad during a press conference in New Delhi, alongside skipper Rohit Sharma. This selection also marked the return of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, who had been sidelined due to injuries that kept them away from competitive cricket for several months.
Chahal’s absence from the Asia Cup squad caught the attention of fans and cricket enthusiasts alike. In response, the leg-spinner took to the microblogging site X (formerly known as Twitter) and shared a cryptic post containing two emoticons that seemed to suggest that “the sun will rise again.”
Rohit Sharma, the team’s captain, shed light on Chahal’s exclusion during the media interaction. He explained that the squad had the flexibility to accommodate 17 players for the Asia Cup, compared to the 15 allowed for the upcoming World Cup. Sharma elaborated on the decision, stating, “So when the time comes we’ll take that decision, but at the moment, it at least gives the coach and captain an opportunity to have him with the squad.” He further pointed out that Chahal’s omission had left the team without a right-hand off-spin option.
“We thought about an offspinner as well, Ashwin and Washy (Washington Sundar), but right now you see Chahal had to miss out because we could only pick 17 players,” explained Rohit Sharma.
While Chahal’s exclusion from the Asia Cup raises questions about his chances in the upcoming ODI World Cup in October-November, Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, offered a glimmer of hope. Agarkar indicated that the doors for the ODI World Cup were not entirely shut for Chahal, R Ashwin, and Washington Sundar. “Having said that, no doors are closed on anyone. Anyone can come in anytime. If we feel like we need Chahal for the World Cup, we’ll see how we can squeeze him in, same goes for Washy or Ashwin,” Agarkar reassured.
The Asia Cup 2023 squad includes Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Sanju Samson (back up to Rahul). As the Asia Cup approaches, fans eagerly await the thrilling cricket action that lies ahead.