The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee appears to be taking a hard line against players who do not prioritise Test and first-class cricket.
Prior to being ruled out of the T20I series against Afghanistan, Ishan Kishan opted out of two Tests against South Africa for personal reasons, while Shreyas Iyer had a disastrous series, scoring only 41 runs in four innings.
According to a recent Bengali newspaper report, Ishan and Shreyas were barred from playing in Afghanistan’s T20Is due to disciplinary reasons.
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, both middle-order batsmen, were notable omissions from India’s 16-man squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins on January 11.
Many people were surprised by the duo’s exclusion, as word of their non-selection spread quickly on social media after the squad was announced.
Prior to their exclusion, Ishan had opted out of two Tests against South Africa due to personal reasons, while Shreyas had a disastrous series, scoring only 41 runs in four innings.
According to a recent report in the Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika, Ishan and Shreyas were barred from playing in the Afghanistan T20Is due to disciplinary reasons.
The exclusion of Ishan and Shreyas appears to be a clear message from the committee that the committee values discipline and commitment, as demonstrated by Rinku Singh and Shubman Gill, who impressed the selectors with their hard work and dedication.
According to the report, selectors were furious with Ishan after he was seen partying with former India captain MS Dhoni in Dubai after opting out of the Test series. Following that, Ishan appeared on a popular television quiz show. According to the report, Ishan’s actions may result in his exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad.
Selectors, on the other hand, were dissatisfied with Shreyas’ shot selection during the South Africa Test series and wanted the batter to play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy after returning home.
Instead, the 29-year-old requested time off. The selectors were not pleased with Shreyas’ decision, and he was dropped from the Afghanistan series. Shreyas, on the other hand, later made himself available and was added to the Mumbai squad for the Ranji match against Andhra Pradesh, which begins on January 12.
According to the report, the Ajit Agarkar-led committee has decided to strictly deal with players who do not take Test and first-class cricket seriously.
The selectors were impressed by Rinku Singh and Shubman Gill’s hard work and dedication, and the former may soon get a chance to play in the traditional format.
