NEW DELHI: The unveiling of India's T20 World Cup squad stirred a passionate debate across the cricketing landscape, with the notable absence of powerhouse batter Rinku Singh taking center stage.
Despite his formidable hitting abilities, boasting a striking rate of over 176 in 15 T20Is, Singh was notably absent from the 15-man touring party, instead finding himself relegated to the reserves alongside Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Former Indian cricketer Rohan Gavaskar and the legendary opener Virender Sehwag joined the chorus of voices expressing dismay over Singh's omission, offering insights into the selection process.
Gavaskar questioned the yardstick for selection, particularly in light of certain players' performances in the IPL 2024.
"If IPL 2024 is the metric, where has Mohammed Siraj picked wickets for RCB? Suryakumar Yadav... he was always in my team, and he should be there in the T20 World Cup too. But even he hasn't performed (for MI)," Gavaskar expressed during a debate on Cricbuzz, highlighting discrepancies in the selection criteria.
Sehwag echoed Gavaskar's sentiments, suggesting that some selections were made based on reputation rather than recent form.
"Some players are going there on reputation. Like Suryakumar, his reputation is that he is an explosive hitter. Yes, he can have bad days. Rinku Singh is also like him, the difference is that he is young and Suryakumar is experienced," Sehwag asserted.
The absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from India's T20I plans in the previous year raised eyebrows, but their return to the side earlier this year signaled a shift in strategy. Hardik Pandya's appointment as vice-captain for the World Cup underscored the team's reliance on seasoned players, further underlining the significance of experience in selection decisions.
Gavaskar also pointed to the Impact Player rule as a factor impacting Singh's chances.
"I believe the Impact Player has dropped Rinku Singh. If there was no Impact Player, we would know whether Shivam Dube is bowling or not and whether he could go as an all-rounder," he stated, highlighting the rule's limitations on the utilization of all-rounders like Dube.
