India captain Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar held a press conference to announce the India squad for the upcoming Asia Cup.
MORE: Bet on Asia Cup 2023 and other cricket matches from India!
The selection of players here has become a matter of greater importance due to the ODI World Cup set to start in October, after the conclusion of the Asia Cup.
Apart from the squad picked for this tournament, there were a few who may have been unlucky to miss out, for various reasons. Here are some of them.
MORE: Asia Cup 2023: Groups, teams and schedule - India grouped with Pakistan and Nepal
Sanju Samson: Snubbed again?
Samson has been named in the Asia Cup squad, but only as a reserve player in case KL Rahul is not fit to play the first one or two fixtures. But perhaps it is an indication of where he stands in the pecking order that even with doubts over Rahul's fitness, Samson is not a sure shot to step in.
MORE: Ashwin compares Ruturaj Gaikwad to legendary dancer Prabhu Deva
It may be unfair on the Kerala batter, who averages 55 at a strike rate of 104 in his short ODI career to date. Whether his selection only as a standby is a lack of faith in him, or a show of unwavering faith in Rahul is anyone's guess but Samson can feel a little hard done by.
Yuzvendra Chahal left out: End of the road for 'KulCha'?
Before the squad was announced, one of the questions to be answered was whether both leg spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal would be included.
Agarkar and Rohit did note that for the sake of the team composition, they could only pick one. Kuldeep was selected, perhaps for his variety as a left-arm leggie and also for consistency in future team selections. He is five years younger than Chahal and so will likely be around longer.
MORE: Bumrah sets sights on Asia Cup and World Cup
The roles could be reversed before the World Cup depending on form, but either way it seems like India's fearsome 'KulCha' duo will be separated going forward.
Shikhar Dhawan excluded: 'Gabbar' may not play for India again
Since the end of the last ODI World Cup, only Virat Kohli has played more ODIs for India (39) than Shikhar Dhawan (37). Averaging 41 since 2019, the left-hander last played for India in December 2022 against Bangladesh.
The emergence of Shubman Gill meant that no one expected Dhawan to make a comeback here, but the talking point here is that after eight months out of the national team setup, Dhawan is unlikely to ever return. 'Gabbar' may have played his last match for India, and international retirement may not be far away.
