India's squads for the tour of West Indies were announced on Friday by the BCCI, and one of the biggest talking points was the exclusion of Cheteshwar Pujara.
Now, Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund, who played seven Tests for India between 2011 and 2017, has expressed his opinion on the selection of youngsters like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
MORE: India squads for West Indies tour announced
Abhinav Mukund criticises the selection process
The 33-year-old took to Twitter to voice his opinion on the squad selection, saying that avenues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) have gained more precedence than the domestic circuit.
Unable to understand these selections- too many thoughts in my head to compile into a tweet. But what is the incentive for a young player to take pride in playing for his state anymore? Clearly the franchise route is a faster way to scale the grade. #INDvsWI
— Abhinav Mukund (@mukundabhinav) June 23, 2023
MORE: Sunil Gavaskar slams selectors for dropping Cheteshwar Pujara
Case to make for other Ranji Trophy performers?
The tweet shared by Mukund does raise some serious questions, though.
21-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, someone who is relatively inexperienced - although with an incredible record in Ranji Trophy (1845 runs in 26 innings at an average of 80.22) - got the nod ahead of the likes of consistent performers in the domestic circuit like Bengal's Abhimanyu Easwaran and Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan.
Sarfaraz has the best average in first-class cricket for someone who has played a minimum of 50 innings, averaging 79.65 with nine fifties and 13 centuries to his name. He has been among the leading run-getters in Ranji Trophy in recent years and it's a bit of a surprise to see that he isn't even in the reckoning for an India spot, let alone find a place in the fragile Indian middle-order.
On the other hand, Abhimanyu Easwaran, who's 27 but is somewhat of a veteran in the domestic circuit with over 6700 runs in 150 innings at an average of over 47, hasn't been given a chance either, also he has been called up to the India squad in previous years.
Jaiswal's selection, of course, cannot be questioned. He has shown an insatiable hunger for runs and brings something different to the table as compared to Pujara, who has been a rock for India at No. 3 for the last decade. However, one cannot overlook the fact that Jaiswal has found an easier pathway to the Indian team thanks to his incredible performance in IPL 2023, where he scored 625 runs in 14 innings at a phenomenal strike rate of 164.
The same can be said for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 590 in 15 innings. Although he has flourished in white ball cricket, the same cannot be said about his performances in red ball cricket. In Ranji Trophy, he averages 42.15, which is not exactly bad, but certainly pales in comparison to other players who have waited for their chance by playing much better.
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So, does IPL create an easier journey for an Indian cricketer as compared to someone who has to only rely on performances in the domestic circuit, which, as has been proven over the years, have been definitely overlooked over the years?
What did Aakash Chopra say about Sarfaraz Khan's snub?
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra, who is currently a commentator, questioned BCCI for snubbing Sarfaraz Khan.
“What should Sarfaraz do? If you look at his numbers in the past 3 years, he’s head and shoulders above the rest. He has scored everywhere. Even then, if he is not selected… what message does it send?
“This is a question worth asking. If there’s some other reason, something which you and I don’t know, make it public. Just say that you didn’t like that particular thing about Sarfaraz, and that’s why you’re not considering him. But we don’t know if there’s something like that. I don’t know if someone told Sarfaraz about that.
“If you don’t value first-class runs, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.”
