The BCCI on Wednesday announced a 15-man squad for the 5-match T20I series against West Indies, scheduled to be played next month in the Caribbean and the USA. The selection committee, led by newly-appointed chief selector Ajit Agarkar, handed maiden call-ups to Hyderabad’s Tilak Varma and Mumbai batter Yashasvi Jaiswal. All-rounder Hardik Pandya continues to lead the team in the shortest format of the game while the senior figures, including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, found no place as India look to make a transitional shift, keeping next year’s T20 World Cup in mind.
The Ajit Agarkar-led committee also named Sanju Samson in the team while the bowling line-up embodies youngsters in Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar.
But what has led to an uproar on social media is the non-selection of Rinku Singh who had a phenomenal season for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023. The batter from Aligarh ended as the highest scorer for KKR, amassing over 400 runs in 14 games. Several media reports claimed that Rinku will be one of the IPL superstars who are in contention for the West Indies T20Is. But his snub has certainly left his fans heartbroken.
Here’s how they reacted:
If Rinku Singh doesn’t play for India, it’s Indias Loss!!Keep Going @rinkusingh235 pic.twitter.com/mahZ9pdMAB
— KKR Bhakt ™ (@KKRSince2011) July 5, 2023
Rinku Singh is the most loved cricketer at the moment. Everyone is angry about his exclusion. pic.twitter.com/jkqRALYPK1— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) July 5, 2023
Middle Order Batsman with 450+ Runs, 55+ Average and 145+ Strike Rate in an IPL•2018 MS Dhoni•2023 Rinku Singh
They cry for Finisher after MS Dhoni but doesn’t select a Genuine Talent pic.twitter.com/Y3LXtskZy5
— KKR Bhakt ™ (@KKRSince2011) July 5, 2023
Justice for Rinku Singh #WIvIND #RinkuSingh pic.twitter.com/6GRHR62sGx— Shreyas Aryan (@Ariyen34) July 5, 2023
Justice for Rinku Singh #WIvIND | #RinkuSingh | #WIvsIND pic.twitter.com/N43e0EDiys— Swapnil Vats (@iamswapnilvats) July 5, 2023
No Rinku Singh for the T20i series against West Indies.Feed sad for Lord Rinku Singh. Team India need to be confirmed his position atleast in T20Is. #WIvIND #RinkuSingh #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/KHd6hQIjB6
— Ashutosh Srivastava (@sri_ashutosh08) July 5, 2023
Feel for Rinku Singh.No place in the T20 setup vs West Indies after doing so well in IPL & domestic. #INDvsWIpic.twitter.com/3b3k6Gd2Ev
— sameer khan⁴⁵ (@khan_Ro45) July 5, 2023
Tilak varma is selected I’m happy for him but why not rinku singh just why not ?He performs in IPLHe performs in domesticWhat else he can doIt hurts pic.twitter.com/ftAq7pink5— Ashish Shrivastava (@ashishayush1177) July 5, 2023
Knowing BCCI, you might see Rinku Singh getting picked in Tests before the T20I side.— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) July 5, 2023
Happy to see Yashasvi and Tilak getting their opportunities during the team’s transition, but it feels like we missed out on a potential finisher in Rinku Singh. With Hardik’s role changing, having another power hitter would have been advantageous!! https://t.co/1v02l3sCkT— Shivani Shukla (@iShivani_Shukla) July 5, 2023
Rinku Singh Robbed #WIvIND #RinkuSingh pic.twitter.com/cG4ugfApaV— Shreyas Aryan (@Ariyen34) July 5, 2023
Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma got their maiden T20I call-ups for India after their impressive performances in IPL 2023. The duo were phenomenal for their respective teams in the cash-rich league and the BCCI decided to give them chances as they have entered the transitional phase in the shortest format.
India’s T20I squad: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
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