5 PLAYERS WHOSE PREMATURE AXING FROM THE INDIAN T20 SQUAD MUST COUNT AS BLUNDERS

Varun Chakravarthy made his T20 debut for India during the tour of Sri Lanka in 2021. He was picked for the T20 World Cup in the UAE after an impressive IPL season for KKR...

- RENIN WILBEN

The Indian cricket selectors have come under the scanner for bizarre decisions over the last few seasons. One of the reasons India failed to perform well in the last few ICC events is that the selection policies have not been up to the mark. Players were picked and disposed of after just a few games without being given a long enough run to prove their worth. A number of T20 discards are making a huge impression in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Let’s look at the case of five players whose axing from the Indian T20 team must count as blunders

1. VENKATESH IYER: Madhya Pradesh’s batting all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was fast-tracked into the Indian T20 squad on the basis of a superb season for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2021. After the franchise struggled in the first half, Iyer’s presence at the top of the order led to a complete turnaround in fortunes. His blazing willow lifted KKR to the final. The 28-year-old has played nine T20Is for India, scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 162.19 and claiming five wickets as well. These are not extraordinary numbers, but they are not bad either. Iyer has been in good form in the ongoing IPL. He smashed 83 off 40, coming in as the Impact Player against GT.