Indian squad for Zimbabwe: Commendable job by selectors
Indian squad for Zimbabwe: Commendable job by selectors
The Indian selectors probably have the toughest job in hand. In a cricket- crazy nation with hoards of talented players playing for several domestic sides, it’s their job to choose the 15 men who would represent the country. You can’t please everyone and often they receive the flak for the same.
The Sandeep Patil-led selection committee announced the Indian squad for the tour of Zimbabwe on Monday. The selectors played a masterstroke by appointing Ajinkya Rahane as the skipper for the tour to the African nation, where the side will play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Regular ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan are some of the main players rested for the tour, as they have played non-stop cricket since November last year. The selectors have opted for a side with the right mix of youth and experience.
Following is the squad for the Zimbabwean tour:
Ajinkya Rahane (captain): He has been in the mix of things for the past few years and possesses a calm demeanour, very similar to Dhoni. Rahane was benched for the last two ODIs in Bangladesh, which wasn’t a right decision. In the years to come, Rahane will be one of the leaders with the bat in the Indian side and selectors have played a masterstroke by testing his leadership skils.
Murali Vijay: He hasn’t played an ODI in two years but has been one of the best batters in the side in the longer format. Vijay has merited his place in the side with consistent performances in the Test format. However, his limited-overs form hasn’t really been great and he had an off Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. Selectors probably missed a trickin not picking the experienced Gautam Gambhir in this spot. In terms of form, Gambhir not only had a good First-Class season, but also had a better IPL season than Vijay.
Ambati Rayudu: Rayudu was an automatic choice as he has spent a lot of time in the sidelines and in this tour he is bound to get more games.
Manoj Tiwary: The Bengal stalwart, who made his debut in 2008, has been one of the unluckiest cricketers. Over the years, he has been inexplicably dropped, or he has got injured in critical junctures. Tiwary had a good run in the BCCI One-Day competitions last season, scoring 535 runs at an average close to 67. Tiwary is a meritorious pick.
Kedar Jadhav: He isn’t young at 30, but he is one of the most prolific batsmen in domestic cricket. Like Tiwary, it’s high-time Jadhav too gets to play more at the highest level.
Robin Uthappa: Making his debut in 2006, Uthappa has been in and out of the side. Had India gone for a second wicketkeeper in their World Cup 2015 squad, he would have made it. He has been in tremendous form off late and his selection as the wicketkeeper-batsman is no surprise.
Manish Pandey: He is another batsman who has had a good domestic season. He is one of the most important players for his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and averaged over 89 with the bat in the One-Day competitions. He also had a good season in First-Class cricket.
Harbhajan Singh: The veteran off-spinner’s selection raised many eyebrows when he made it to the Test side in Bangladesh. He had an off-season in First-Class cricket but in IPL, he showed he is still lethal in the shorter formats. Harbhajan was instrumental in Mumbai Indians’ IPL triumph this season and his experience is bound to come in handy in Zimbabwe.
Axar Patel: With Ravindra Jadeja being dropped because of his indifferent form, Axar, who has been with the senior side for more than a year, was an automatic choice. His all-round skills will prove crucial in the tour.
Karn Sharma: He too has been a part of the senior side off late and though he has been warming the benches mostly, there’s no doubt Karn is a potent force in shorter formats. In a short career, he is already a key player for Railways and his IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Sandeep Sharma: He picked 28 wickets in seven games at an average of 22 for Punjab in the previous season of Ranji Trophy. It’s right to invest in the 22-year-old medium pacer, who has been a revelation in the domestic circuit. For Kings XI Punjab too, he has been one of the key players and if the ball is swinging, Sandeep is a force to reckon.
Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohit Sharma: All four of them have been a part of the senior side, but haven’t played on a regular basis. With the seniors rested, there selection comes as no surprise as they will be expected to shoulder extra responsibility in this tour.
The new team under the leadership of Rahane will kick start their tour on July 10, 2015.
(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sportsmarketer , strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)
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