Sourav Ganguly’s Stance: Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara’s Reign Over as They Miss Out on SA Test

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were left out of the Indian cricket team squad for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. The decision by the selection panel to include youngsters Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal instead has raised eyebrows. Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly believes that it is necessary to give opportunities to new talent. He emphasized that success in sports is not permanent and while Rahane and Pujara have contributed significantly to the national side, it is time for new batsmen to showcase their skills.

Ganguly stated, “At some point, you have to introduce new talents. There is an abundance of talent in India and the team needs to progress. Pujara and Rahane have achieved great success for India, but sport doesn’t stay with you forever.” He expressed gratitude for their contributions to Indian cricket and acknowledged that selectors are looking for fresh faces.

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been long-serving players for India in Test matches. Rahane has scored 5077 runs in 85 Test matches at an average of 38.46. His last Test appearance was in July against West Indies. Pujara has played 103 Tests and scored 7195 runs at an average of 43.60. His most recent Test was in June against Australia.

According to news agency PTI, Rahane and Pujara may have played their last Test matches. “The slots that Rahane and Pujara held will now be occupied by KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Gill will bat in the middle order and Yashasvi will be given a fair chance,” a source stated.

The Indian cricket team squad for the South Africa Tests includes Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Shami*, Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain), and Prasidh Krishna.