NEW DELHI: Gloveman Ishan Kishan and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer were the two notable absentees in India’s 16-man squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, starting January 11.
The duo’s exclusion came as a surprise for many as the news of their non-selection was a buzz on social media after the squad was announced.
Prior to their exclusion, Ishan opted out of two Tests against South Africa citing personal reasons while Shreyas had a torrid outing in the series, scoring just 41 in four innings.
A recent report in Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika has now claimed that Ishan and Shreyas were excluded from Afghanistan T20Is on disciplinary grounds.
The report stated that selectors were quite miffed with Ishan as he was seen partying with former India captain MS Dhoni in Dubai after opting out of Test series. Following that Ishan also appeared in a popular TV quiz show. The report further said that Ishan’s actions might further lead to his exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad.
On the other hand, selectors were also quite unimpressed with Shreyas’ shot selection during the South Africa Test series and wanted the batter to play for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy after returning home.
But the 29-year-old instead asked for some time off. Shreyas’ call did not go down well with the selectors as they decided to drop him from the Afghanistan series. However, Shreyas later made himself available and was added to the Mumbai squad for the Ranji game against Andhra Pradesh, starting January 12.
The report further added that the Ajit Agarkar-led committee has chosen to deal strictly with players who do not take Test and first-class cricket seriously.
The selectors though were quite impressed with Rinku Singh and Shubman Gill’s hard work and commitment and the former might soon get a chance to feature in the traditional format.
The duo’s exclusion came as a surprise for many as the news of their non-selection was a buzz on social media after the squad was announced.
Prior to their exclusion, Ishan opted out of two Tests against South Africa citing personal reasons while Shreyas had a torrid outing in the series, scoring just 41 in four innings.
A recent report in Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika has now claimed that Ishan and Shreyas were excluded from Afghanistan T20Is on disciplinary grounds.
The report stated that selectors were quite miffed with Ishan as he was seen partying with former India captain MS Dhoni in Dubai after opting out of Test series. Following that Ishan also appeared in a popular TV quiz show. The report further said that Ishan’s actions might further lead to his exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad.
On the other hand, selectors were also quite unimpressed with Shreyas’ shot selection during the South Africa Test series and wanted the batter to play for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy after returning home.
But the 29-year-old instead asked for some time off. Shreyas’ call did not go down well with the selectors as they decided to drop him from the Afghanistan series. However, Shreyas later made himself available and was added to the Mumbai squad for the Ranji game against Andhra Pradesh, starting January 12.
The report further added that the Ajit Agarkar-led committee has chosen to deal strictly with players who do not take Test and first-class cricket seriously.
The selectors though were quite impressed with Rinku Singh and Shubman Gill’s hard work and commitment and the former might soon get a chance to feature in the traditional format.