‘Some sort of Influence is always taking place in Indian cricket’ – Fans react as India T20I squad for West Indies tour gets announced
The T20I squad for India for the West Indies tour has been announced. The 5 T20Is will be played in the Caribbean and the USA. These games will serve as a good platform for the Men in Blue to iron out their flaws ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 which will be played in the same venue. The T20I squad was the latest one to be announced as this happened under the chairmanship of Ajit Agarkar.
Some interesting points with regard to the squad are that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been rested due to workload management. Ruturaj Gaikwad who had a good 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season for Chennai Super Kings finds no place in the side. In 16 games, he scored 590 runs at an average of 42.14 and at a strike rate of 147.50. he struck four fifties. Rinku Singh who lit up IPL 2023 with his finishing skills did not get a call-up, when it was widely expected that he would.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma have been called up to the Indian T20I squad
Rinku made 474 runs in 14 games at an average of 59.25 and at a strike rate of 149.52 in IPL 2023. He hit four fifties in the tournament including a 31-run over of Yash Dayal which left the fans gasping for breath. Jitesh Sharma was very safe behind the gloves and also showed his pyrotechnics with the bat. Jitesh hit 309 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 156.06. But despite this good showing, he did not get a place in the squad.
A lot of fans welcomed Ravi Bishnoi after his inclusion in the squad. This could mean that the Men in Blue would be looking to use a wrist spinner as an attacking option and also as a backup for Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Bishnoi with limited chances got put up an impressive showing for India, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh make up the pacers.
Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson will don the gloves. However, it remains to be seen who among the two will get first preference on the side. Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal have also been called in. They will add variety to the Indian batting lineup as they are both left-handers. Varma will give solidity in the middle order.
Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter:
Indian Test Team Selection Criteria – IPL
Indian T20i's Team Selection Criteria – LoL#IndianCricketTeam #BCCI #INDvsWI #T20worldcup #ViratKohli𓃵 #RohitSharma #India #CricketTwitter #Cricket #rinkusingh #Ruturaj— Carpediem (@UjjwalJ63800432) July 5, 2023
Selectors are getting changed but issue remains the same. Selectors are getting influenced with IPL performances and disturbing the continuity in the team. Why Mavi, Tripathi are out of Indian team who were part of last T20I series india has played?
— Santosh (@ImSantoshKan) July 5, 2023
Really like how India are backing youngsters in T20I cricket. Umran and Arshdeep are still not proven in T20I cricket, but India are prioritising the process of over the results. Tilak's in the team. Jaiswal too. Good from India finally. Rinku unlucky to miss out.
— Sreejith Mullappilli (@Mullappilli) July 5, 2023
Rinku Singh not selected in T20I squad against West Indies!
This is loss for Team India!
New committee but same old results!#WIvIND#WIvsIND pic.twitter.com/VTk3vs8cbJ
— Nilesh G (@oye_nilesh) July 5, 2023
A big possibility that #RohitSharma has played his last T20I game for India in that T20WC SF v Eng at Adelaide…will the selectors and team take a bold decision to leave out #ViratKohli and opt for a young side in the #T20WorldCup 2024 ? https://t.co/Bynu81L7O2
— movieman (@movieman777) July 5, 2023
https://twitter.com/Mrityunjoy_offl/status/1676641277109227521?s=20
Ishan Kishan's stats in his last 14 T20i innings –
Inns: 14
Runs: 200
Balls: 190
Avg: 14.3
SR: 105.3
50s: 0
100s: 0
HS: 37I hope, life gives me as much opportunities as Ishan Kishan gets to shit for Team India in every format!
And u can never deny that MI lobby is at work! pic.twitter.com/QHbET2Q9HE
— Rᴀɪᴋᴀᴛ (@ShortArmJab7) July 5, 2023
What about Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar's IPL performance made them good enough to be in India's T20I team
And quite baffling they just refuse to see the lack of finisher problem with neither Jitesh or Rinku in the team
And no Ruturaj Gaikwad in the format he is actually good https://t.co/3TSsUSUbPI
— AayushKataria (@aayush11kataria) July 5, 2023
#T20I India team – I think Ruturaj is dropped coz we already have Gill and they wanted more lefties and Ishan keeps too. Good choice to get in Tilak Verma who can also bowl. Tough to see Rinku miss out. Is Jadeja rested?
— Ravi Sutharsan (@RaviSutharsan) July 5, 2023
Hardik has captained every T20I post the Semi-Final exit of Team India from the last T20WC while Rohit hasn't played a single T20I during the same period.
Till how long BCCI can use this 'workload management' as an excuse? They will have to answer the big question post 2023 WC. https://t.co/mK3K5HoC2a
— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) July 5, 2023
