Ex-Opener Feels India Star’s Career Takes a Hit as He’s Ignored for South Africa Tour

The Indian cricket team’s squad for the upcoming Tour of South Africa, set to begin on December 10, features an interesting lineup. It will be the first time for India to have three captains leading the team in the three different formats during a tour. Rohit Sharma will take charge as the Test captain, Suryakumar Yadav will captain the T20I series, and KL Rahul has been appointed as the skipper for the ODI series. The tour will consist of three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests against South Africa.

However, one notable absence from the squad is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the experienced paceman who was not selected in any format. This decision has raised eyebrows and sparked discussions among cricket experts and fans. Aakash Chopra, former Indian opener and cricket commentator, shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, emphasizing that neither he nor anyone else can determine Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s career as they are not the selectors. However, he acknowledged that the current scenario does not look promising for the talented bowler.

Chopra pointed out that despite Bhuvneshwar’s decent performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has not been given any opportunities at the international level. He mentioned that it was already decided that Bhuvneshwar would not be picked for ODIs, but now he is also being overlooked for T20Is. Chopra speculated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors might be looking at younger bowlers as potential options.

He highlighted the depth of talent in Indian cricket, mentioning several names such as Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Deepak Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Umran Malik, who have all been considered for selection. Chopra praised the abundance of options available in Indian cricket, which allows the team management to explore alternative choices.

Ashish Nehra, former Indian fast bowler and coach of the Gujarat Titans, also expressed surprise at Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s exclusion from the squad. Nehra believed that Kumar could have been a valuable asset considering the conditions in South Africa. He acknowledged that the selectors have picked a diverse range of players for the tour, but he felt that Kumar’s name should have been included due to his skill and experience as a swing bowler.

In conclusion, the Indian squad for the Tour of South Africa has raised eyebrows with the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was not picked in any format. Cricket experts like Aakash Chopra and Ashish Nehra have voiced their opinions on the matter, highlighting the depth of talent in Indian cricket while expressing surprise at Kumar’s omission. The tour promises to be an exciting challenge for the Indian team as they face South Africa in a series of matches across different formats.