Bit disappointed that India didn’t consider Yuzvendra Chahal for World Cup 2023, says Aakash Chopra

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra is a bit disappointed that the selectors didn’t consider Yuzvendra Chahal for the 15-man World Cup squad. Earlier, Chopra had said Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are similar types of spinners and thus the selection panel should consider Chahal’s selection.

Meanwhile, Chahal’s current form isn’t the best and it also played a role in his exclusion. Chahal could not get a game in the recent three-match ODI series against the West Indies and also could find a place in the Asia Cup. The leg-spinner from Haryana has scalped 121 wickets in 72 ODI matches at an average of 27.13 and an economy rate of 5.27.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had mentioned that they wanted depth in their batting and thus the team didn’t pick Chahal in the ongoing Asia Cup and the leg-spinner was also left out of the World Cup squad.

“I am not surprised by the team selection, but I am a bit disappointed that they haven’t considered the need for Yuzvendra Chahal. We can’t play Jadeja and Axar together. There will be situations where you face teams like Australia with many left-handed batsmen, and having an off-spinner option becomes crucial. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have that now, and it seems like they haven’t thought about it thoroughly. I hope this decision doesn’t come back to haunt them in the future,” Chopra said on JioCinema.

The reputed commentator added Team India has a long tail and the lack of batting depth could lead to their downfall. India could play Shardul Thakur, who could bat at number eight.

“In an ideal scenario, you want your No. 9 player to bat a little bit. This is a strength that teams like Pakistan or England possess. Our problem is that our No. 9, 10, and 11 can’t bat to the level where you can have confidence in their abilities. Hypothetically, it’ll be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav in those positions. Additionally, we need a strong No. 8, for which we have Shardul Thakur. Why do you need a batter at No. 8?” Chopra asked, shedding light on the batting depth conundrum.

Chopra added India’s all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya will have a key role to play for the team in the World Cup whereas the third all-rounder, Shardul Thakur is a luxury.

“This is when you have a player or two in your top six whose form can’t be trusted. That’s when you want a little depth. There’s merit in having four proper bowlers and playing Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya as two all-rounders. It should work with two all-rounders and a third all-rounder is a luxury,” he added.

India will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on October 8.

India’s Squad for ODI World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah