‘Kismat ho to Tilak jaisi warna player to Chahal bhi hai’ – Fans react as Yuzvendra Chahal misses out of India’s 17-member Asia Cup squad

As India announced their 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, fans and cricket experts were shocked to see Yuzvendra Chahal missing out on it. India’s only right-hand leg spinner in the international set-up has been left out once again from a prestigious tournament. Despite his performances in some games, India went with Axar Patel to prolong their batting line-up.

Chahal, who missed out on the 2021 T20 World Cup, did not get a chance to play in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Now in the upcoming Asia Cup, he is not on the list of 18 players, which means he is most likely to miss out on the upcoming ODI World Cup too. This decision did not go well with the fans on social media, as there is outrage against it. However, skipper Rohit Sharma said that the doors are open for all spinners, including Chahal, as this is not the final squad for the World Cup.

In the press conference, Rohit said, “We couldn’t get Chahal in as we had only 17 slots. Doors are not closed for anyone, including Ravi Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Washington Sundar, for the World Cup.” Chief selector Ajit Agarkar also spoke about Chahal, saying that he is a terrific performer but could not make it in. “Terrific performer, but we had to look at the balance of the team. Fitting in two wrist spinners was difficult. We can fit only one wrist spinner. It’s unfortunate for one to miss out, and right now, Kuldeep is a bit ahead,” Agarkar said.

Is Yuzvendra Chahal not in India’s scheme of things?

It is worth noting that since January 2023, Chahal has participated in just two one-day international games for India. He got a match each against Sri Lanka and New Zealand earlier this year, and since then he has just travelled with the squad. In the recently concluded West Indies tour, he was in the squad but didn’t get a match as Kuldeep Yadav was performing amazingly.

Talking about the squad, India announced a 17-member squad for the continental tournament. The team will be led by skipper Rohit Sharma, while Hardik Pandya will assist him as his deputy. On the other hand, 20-year-old Tilak Verma receives his maiden ODI call. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the team is going with Sanju Samson as a backup because KL Rahul is having a niggle.

Here is how fans reacted to Yuzvendra Chahal’s exclusion: