The omissions of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from India’s Asia Cup squad is sure to weigh on the duo's mind.
Performance in the IPL has been one major criterion behind this Asia Cup squad selection. Keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma’s place in the group is proof of it.
That way, Shreyas, who captained Punjab Kings in this year’s IPL, had played a huge role in the franchise’s runners-up finish. Jaiswal hasn’t been a regular in India’s XI in T20Is, but has been a consistent performer for the Rajasthan Royals.
How Shreyas and Jaiswal’s cases were dealt with may lead to a situation where they play just for themselves instead of taking risks and keeping team interests in mind. Ravichandran Ashwin at least feels so.
The duo’s focus from here onwards could well be on focusing on securing their places in the team first, the distinguished former India off-spinner stated.
“Not only has his (Jaiswal’s) slot gone, but there’s a leadership role in that. Now, he’s left with one spot. He needs to fight for Abhishek Sharma’s place. Or, he’ll have to go and play in the middle order in the IPL.
“He averages 36 (36.15), with a strike rate of 165 (164.31) in this (T20I) format. It’s very hard to find a guy like Jaiswal. He doesn’t play for himself sometimes, something I have seen a lot of batters do.
“Shreyas is the same. Both of them play less for their average and more for their strike rate. If the ball is there to be hit, they take the chance. It took a long time for India to get players with that brand of cricket.
“I’ll say if I am Jaiswal or Shreyas, now that my chance is gone, so from the next time, if a risk has to be taken, I won’t. I’ll play for myself because I need to secure my place. It’s unfortunate, but you may have to play for that in T20s,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar too criticised the selectors’ decision to not include Shreyas in the squad.
Nayar suggests the decision to not consider the IPL-winning captain signals Shreyas is no longer in the reckoning for T20Is.
“I can’t fathom or understand what reason could justify Shreyas Iyer not being part of the 20-member squad,” Nayar told JioHotstar.
“I’m not even talking about the final 15, but the 20 itself (including the five standbys), which sends a clear message that Shreyas Iyer is not in the selectors’ scheme of things, at least from a T20I perspective.”
Test captain Shubman Gill was nowhere in the T20I picture after last year’s Zimbabwe series.
But Gill’s success in the recent England Tests was the biggest reason behind his return to the Indian Asia Cup squad. That too, as a deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
Gill’s elevation as vice-captain pointed towards a long-term leadership role where he could be the all-format captain.
“This squad announcement sort of tells you the mindset of the selectors.
“With the selection of Shubman, in time, he is going to be an all-format captain, and that’s where they are positioning him.
“I’m sure he’s going to follow the mindset of being attacking,” Nayar said.