Correspondent, 17 October: Ahead of next year's ODI World Cup, the BCCI selection committee's squad announcement for the upcoming New Zealand tour has sparked major confusion. The exclusion of two key players has raised eyebrows, with veteran spinner R. Ashwin directly terming the decision "unjust."
Following a five-match T20 series against New Zealand, the teams will contest a five-match ODI series beginning November 4, followed by a two-match Test series starting November 19. For the ODI leg, the selection committee has named two separate squads—one for the initial three games and another for the final two matches.
Shubman Gill will captain the side for the first three ODIs. For the last two matches, Shreyas Iyer has been handed the captaincy, with Ishan Kishan serving as his deputy. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who featured in the West Indies series, and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have been dropped from the ODI setup. Leaving them out with the World Cup approaching is viewed as a shocking move. Ashwin explicitly reacted by stating that denying Yashasvi an opportunity in the ODI series is unfortunate and unjust.
The selection introduces fresh faces, including a maiden India call-up for 21-year-old Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Kushagra, who has been picked for two ODI matches. Anshul Kamboj, who debuted in the previous ODI series, is included for the first three games, while Aqib Nabi gets a chance in the last two. T20 vice-captain Tilak Varma has also made a comeback to the ODI squad, earning an opportunity for the final two matches.
Premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire ODI series and will only feature in the two Test matches. Prasidh Krishna, who has been battling injuries, is named in both the ODI and Test squads, while the injured Rishabh Pant is included in the Test side; however, both players will have to prove their fitness. Additionally, fast bowler Akash Deep returns to the Test squad after a year, alongside Anshul Kamboj, who makes a Test comeback after his debut in England.
