Chahal "Doesn't Deserve To Be In Team India": Ex-Pak Spinner's Sharp Take

Team India's squad for the Asia Cup 2023 was announced on Monday with skipper Rohit Sharma and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealing the 18-member squad. All-rounder Hardik Pandya was promoted as Rohit's deputy for the continental event while batters KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer made their way back into team after battling through their respective injuries. However, the exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal sparked a debate as many former cricketers lashed out at the selectors for ignoring the veteran leg-spinner. 

The 18-member squad consists of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav as the spinners. However, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria backed the selectors for going ahead with Kuldeep over Chahal and stated that the Rajasthan Royals spinner "doesn't deserve" to be in the team right now. 

"Yuzvendra Chahal doesn't deserve to be in Team India right now. He has been very inconsistent. Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, has picked up wickets regularly and can be effective in the middle overs. The selectors took the right call by going with Kuldeep over Chahal," Kaneria said on his YouTube channel. 

Earlier, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh came in support of Chahal and called him India's best spinner in white-ball cricket, adding that a few bad games don't make him a bad bowler.

"The one thing I feel is lacking in the team is the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal. A leg-spinner who can get the ball to turn away. If you talk about genuine spinner, I don't think there's any spinner in India better than Chahal in white-ball formats. Yes, his last few games weren't good, but that doesn't make him a bad bowler," Harbhajan had said on his YouTube channel.

"I think his presence in the team was necessary. I hope the doors aren't closed to him. It's important to consider him for the World Cup because the tournament is in India. Chahal is a proven match-winner. I can understand his form isn't good, so you may have rested him. But I think if he was with the team, his confidence would've stayed intact. Any player who comes back after being dropped, the pressure to perform is always there," he added.

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