–Atreyo Mukhopadhyay
Selection of Indian cricket teams is always a tricky call. You inevitably draw criticism and can never satisfy everybody. There is bound to be an amount of discontent, elements of disagreement. The selection committee is always subjected to scrutiny, usually harsh. The outgoing committee which picked the sides for the ODIs and T20s against Sri Lanka is no exception.
But for starters, they need to be lauded for the squad announced for the T20s. The old warhorses have been left out and a host of youngsters have found berths. Naming Hardik Pandya captain is a welcome move and so is the inclusion of Sanju Samson. The pace bowling unit is short on experience, but that is understandable, given fitness issues. Bringing Shubman Gill into the mix is a step ahead, looking to the future.
No Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in the T20 side is actually an interesting process of thinking. No doubt, they are fantastic players, who have proven their worth over the years in no uncertain terms. But can they deliver the kind of game of the future? I am not sure. In the T20 World Cup that took place recently, India suffered consistently due to the inability of the top three to cut loose early on. Always began the game on a disadvantageous note, playing catch up later on.
That way, bringing in Ishan Kishan, Samson, Umran Malik, Rahul Tripathi are progressive signs. In varying degrees, they have performed in the opportunities they have got so far. They have shown that they can make a difference and live up to expectations at the top level. Unless given a chance, how can they prove that they can be counted as international material? To include them in the side is a brilliant move.
I am not so sure about the selection of the ODI squad. One, they discarded a proven performer like Shikhar Dhawan. This left-hander has shown time and again that he can be a decisive factor in the 50-over game wherever it is played. Underrated by a sizeable extent, he was possibly among the most consistent of opening batters of his time. To leave him out completely was possibly a premature call. He could still have added value to this side, especially considering that the World Cup in this version is coming up in India in less than a year’s time.
Second, why leave Samson out? He is an explosive batter, who deserved a look-in going into the future. I have nothing against the famed top three of Rohit, Rahul and Kohli, but the likes of Samson might just be the future. Batters like him bring in an additional dimension which can make a big difference, probably in a decisive manner. To convey to him that he is deemed important only for T20s may be sending a wrong message to him, which can be detrimental. If Gill is in, why not him?
And then, to announce the squads at quarter past 10 in the night without any clarification or answering is not a just practice. Yes, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is a private body but also one which has enormous public interest. There can be better ways of going about things. The BCCI sometimes keeps failing its followers. A little more clarity and direct approach to explain things will not harm them, the bosses might consider.