Former Indian cricketer, Sanjay Manjrekar said Yuzvendra Chahal should have featured in India’s playing XI in the T20I series opener against Australia on Friday in Canberra. The cricketer turned commentator said that he “feels sorry” for the leg-spinner. India made a few surprising selection calls as the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Shreyas Iyer have been rested.

Sanjay Manjrekar said it’s a bit unfair for Chahal to get excluded after a successful season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Chahal picked up 21 wickets for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the UAE, becoming the only spinner to finish inside the top 5 in the bowling charts.

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However, during a chat on Son Ten 1, Manjrekar said, “I feel sorry for Chahal. I just feel that it’s one of those games where they feel that he is tired, he has played a couple of games and let’s rest him. Also, the lines are getting blurred between 50 overs and T20s. When you look at Chahal, he has had his best IPL ever as a leg-spinner and in the first game he plays for India, he is dropped.”

He further added, “Some of the things that are happening because of the number of matches, also he had a couple of rough games in the ODIs, that’s a little unfair. He was in such great T20I form but unfortunate to be dropped for the first T20I. I am looking so far ahead. I am just looking at players available and what could be India’s best possible XI.”

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India also dropped Jasprit Bumrah for the first T20I after the Indian fast bowler played all 3 matches in the ODI series. Middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer, who has been struggling for form, also was excluded in the XI as Manish Pandey took the Delhi Capitals’ captain’s place.