Amid the recent news of Cheteshwar Pujara being dropped from the West Indies test tour by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sunil Gavaskar, a legendary cricket player, believes that Pujara is being unfairly targeted for India’s poor performance at the WTC final.
However, a source from the BCCI has stated that Pujara still has a chance to make a comeback to the Test squad, but he will need to prove himself. Pujara’s performances in the WTC final against Australia were disappointing, as he only scored 14 and 27.
In contrast, Ajinkya Rahane’s performance in the WTC has impressed the BCCI selection board, leading to his promotion to vice-captaincy in the Indian Test squad. This could make Pujara’s return more difficult.
“If Ajinkya Rahane can be made vice-captain of the Test team after being out for 15 months before the WTC final, anyone can make a comeback. The doors aren’t closed for any senior player. However, the selectors want to ensure a smooth transition and avoid a situation where all the senior players retire at once, leaving the team without experienced players,” a BCCI source told the Times of India.
In addition to these developments, the inclusion of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Navdeep Saini, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mukesh Kumar in the team indicates the BCCI’s efforts to revive the entire team.
Here’s the India squad for the West Indies tour:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-Captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.