The selection committee of the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) has announced the T20I side of India and there have been several talking points after the squad announcement.
After India’s disappointment in the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC) earlier in June, India’s next assignment entails in the Caribbean. The ODI series and the T20I series will serve as preparatory series for the Indians ahead of the all-important ICC ODI World Cup 2023, which will be taking place in October-India.
India haven’t included senior cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the squad. This is understandably because this is a World Cup year and India would be wanting them to focus on the ODI format and Tests.
In this article, we take a look at 3 Indian players who deserved a place in the T20I side of India versus West Indies:
1. Rinku Singh
Unarguably the biggest name that has been omitted from the T20I side that will be playing in West Indies, is Rinku Singh. The hard-hitting middle-order batter has been in good touch in the domestic circuit of India and had a fairy-tale Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
Plying his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2023, Rinku Singh had a dream IPL 2023 season. He finished as the 2-time IPL champions’ leading run-getter and amassed 474 runs at a wonderful average of 59.25.
Rinku Singh surely deserved a place in the Indian T20I side, considering his red-hot and blistering form!
2. Jitesh Sharma
In the T20I series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand earlier this year, Jitesh Sharma was a part of Team India. Even though he didn’t get a chance in the playing XI, it was understood that Jitesh Sharma was being groomed for the future.
But after he was dropped for this series without even getting a game, things didn’t quite seem right. In 26 IPL matches, Sharma has mustered 543 runs.
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Another big name that was missing from India’s T20I squad was Ruturaj Gaikwad. The flamboyant and stylish right-handed batter couldn’t find a place in the side. Notably, Gaikwad is a part of India’s ODI and Test squads, that will be playing in the Caribbean.
Ruturaj Gaikwad had a good IPL 2023 season and finished as the 2nd highest run-getter of his team, Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Gaikwad mustered 590 runs and had an average of 42.14.
India preferred giving the maiden India call-up to the T20I squad to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had finished as the leading run-scorer in IPL 2023.
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