‘No spinner better than Chahal in this country’: Baffled Harbhajan pulls no punches in blunt ‘WC’ warning for Team India

The BCCI made the much-awaited Team India announcement for Asia Cup 2023 on Monday, declaring the 17-member squad for the marquee continental tournament, set to kick off next week across Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The announcement took place in the presence of India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, and BCCI’s chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, who hinted that this squad is likely to form the nucleus for the impending World Cup 2023, slated to follow the continental championship.

Offering a sigh of relief to supporters, the inclusion of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer held particular importance in the squad announcement. Both players had been grappling with injuries, and their presence in the lineup was a major positive sign. Agarkar further conveyed that Iyer has fully recovered, while Rahul might miss the initial phase of the Asia Cup due to a minor injury concern.

Nevertheless, notable exclusions have sparked conversations, and none more so than Yuzvendra Chahal. The wrist-spinner’s absence from the list raised eyebrows, as the management’s preference leaned towards Kuldeep Yadav instead. The omission of Chahal triggered debate on social media; the leg-spinner was a regular feature in the Indian ODI lineup and was also part of the side’s last assignment in the format against West Indies.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, taking to his official YouTube channel, expressed his surprise at Chahal’s snub. Calling him India’s best spinner in the white-ball formats, Harbhajan stated that the Indian team will miss the 33-year-old’s services in the Asia Cup.

“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,” said Harbhajan.

“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.”

Will Chahal be back?

The ODI World Cup, commencing on October 5, promises intrigue as far as the Indian squad is considered, as it remains to be seen whether the management can find a way to accommodate Chahal. During the press conference on Monday, the skipper mentioned the trio of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, versatile all-rounder Washington Sundar, and Chahal while stating that there’s still room for them to secure spots in the World Cup squad.