The anticipation for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 has grown with the announcement of India’s squad for the tournament. Rohit Sharma will lead the star-studded Indian team, but the omission of ace spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has sparked discussions and debates within the cricketing community.
Yuzvendra Chahal, a key figure in India’s white-ball cricket setup and a consistent performer in franchise leagues, surprisingly did not find a place in the World Cup squad. This omission has raised questions and speculations about the reasons behind his exclusion. Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh weighed in on the matter, expressing his surprise and suggesting that there might be more to Chahal’s omission than meets the eye.
Harbhajan Singh couldn’t fathom why Yuzvendra Chahal wasn’t included in the World Cup squad, emphasizing that based solely on skill, Chahal should have been an automatic choice. Harbhajan hinted at the possibility of personal disputes or disagreements being a factor in the decision, as there appeared to be no cricketing reasons justifying his exclusion.
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“Yuzvendra Chahal should have been here. He has not been given an opportunity. It is beyond my understanding. Either he has fought with someone or he has said something to someone, I don’t know. If we talk only about skill, his name should have been there in this team because a lot of Team India players are resting,” remarked Harbhajan Singh.
Harbhajan also turned his attention to the upcoming three-match ODI series between India and Australia. He acknowledged that while Australia had recently faced South Africa, India had emerged victorious in the Asia Cup, which makes for an interesting series. Harbhajan cautioned that Australia possessed a formidable batting lineup, with power hitters down to No. 7 or 8, and India would need to bring their best to compete.
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“Australia were playing against South Africa, and India were playing against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup. Australia is a different team. You will have to be at your best to beat Australia because they have decent batting until No. 7 or No. 8 and they have solid hitters,” Harbhajan Singh stated.
The omission of Yuzvendra Chahal and the upcoming India vs. Australia series add layers of intrigue to the cricketing landscape as teams prepare for the ultimate showdown in the World Cup.
