Former India speedster Ashish Nehra tore into current skipper Shikhar Dhawan and coach VVS Laxman for not including Sanju Samson in the side's playing XI for the second T20I against New Zealand in Hamilton on Sunday.
The move left Ashish Nehra baffled because Sanju Samson only found his way into the team in the previous game and got dropped in the next one.
Ashish Nehra subsequently asked Shikhar Dhawan and VVS Laxman to explain the logic behind their decision to drop Sanju Samson before urging them to give a player a long rope in the team.
Ashish Nehra also panned Shikhar Dhawan and VVS Laxman for including Deepak Chahar at the expense of Shardul Thakur. While Shardul Thakur was part of India's XI in the first match at Auckland, he didn't find a place in the team for the second match in Hamilton.
“I hope they haven't picked Deepak Hooda for his bowling. You have Washington Sundar, yes, he bowled well, picked up a few wickets in the T20Is. He's your sixth option, but not a great sixth option. Two changes India have made today, first thing, I don't feel two wrongs make a right because it's not that Shardul Thakur hasn't done well. But before Thakur it should have been Deepak Chahar. Now you have gone with Thakur and it is harsh to drop after one game,” Ashish Nehra said in a conversation with Prime Video.
“Even if you see Sanju Samson, I would have played Hooda ahead of Samson because he was part of the World Cup squad and suddenly he is nowhere. So it's difficult for Hooda as well as Thakur,” Ashish Nehra explained.
“Bowling wise – two debutants, then Sundar and Thakur, who has played a lot of T20 cricket but not a lot of ODI cricket lately, and then Chahal. Five bowling options is okay but you should definitely have a sixth option. But that sixth-bowling option for me is not Hooda, it's Deepak Chahar. You can go with four pacers because there is no Hardik Pandya, and then you can pick two spinner. Sundar is a good-enough batter and then you have Thakur and Chahar. You have to hold the fort somewhere and not keep adjusting all the time,” he former India fast bowler added.
Shikhar Dhawan's decision to leave Sanju Samson out of the side in the second game even left Indian cricket supporters fuming and went on to call it a clear case of “favoritism” in the Indian camp.
The Indian team management faced severe flak for picking only five bowlers for the three-match series opener which they eventually lost by seven wickets after Tom Latham's 104-ball unbeaten 145.
That's why India decided to bring in Deepak Chahar and Deepak Hooda in place of Shardul Thakur and Sanju Samson for the second match in Hamilton.
“Instead of Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar comes in and Deepak Hooda comes in place of Sanju Samson,” Shikhar Dhawan said after the toss.
The decision, however, didn't impress Team India admirers who blasted Shikhar Dhawan for his “horrible” move.
This is not the first time that fans have been furious with the Indian management for neglecting Sanju Samson.
Even in the first match against New Zealand, Sanju Samson's supporters were critical of Shikhar Dhawan.
Most times, Sanju Samson isn't included in the side because of Rishabh Pant. While Rishabh Pant has established himself as possibly India's best wicketkeeper batter in Test cricket, he's yet to live up to his billing in white-ball cricket, especially in T20Is. That's where Indian cricket fans have been critical of the team management as Sanju Samson has often warmed the bench due to Rishabh Pant.
Sanju Samson's continued exclusion from the XI at the expense of Rishabh Pant was criticized by former India opener Aakash Chopra as well.
“As of now everyone believes that he (Pant) is a special player, extremely talented, is an X-factor kind of cricketer, but he hasn't lived up to the reputation in white-ball cricket thus far,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“In Tests, today also Rishabh Pant is not only India's but the world's best wicketkeeper-batter. Not many top-order batters have played more dynamic and impactful knocks than him, forget about a keeper. But the truth is that he has not done that good a job in ODIs and T20s considering the opportunities he has got,” said the former India opener.
“You have made him the vice-captain currently. Now that you have done that, you will give him two more opportunities in the team. You will ask him to play but what after that? That is a big question,” Aakash Chopra added.
“God forbid, if this series is also not good, Rishabh Pant is still part of the team for the next series, but after that the selectors will have to start thinking until when they can stick with him or if they should start moving in a different direction,” he concluded.
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