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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (India) announced India's squad for the three-match One Day Internationals against Zimbabwe which is scheduled to begin from August 18 to August 22. All India Senior Selection Committee picked the 15-member squad which featured three new names, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Deepak Chahar, who are back in the India fold after missing out on the West Indies tour.
But the biggest name which was missing in the squad was of Virat Kohli which has against opened the room for debate which is going on a for a while now about how the high-profile batter's case is being handled by the Indian team management.
It also casts a doubt on Kohli's presence in the upcoming marquee Asia Cup 2022 after missing the two series back to back, West Indies and Zimbabwe tour.
However, Pakistan's former star spinner Danish Kaneria questioned Kohli's absence from the Zimbabwe tour and feels the high-profile India batter could have returned to form had he been named in the 50-over assignment which can also bring his mojo back ahead of the Asia Cup 2022.
"Virat Kohli should have played in this series. Does BCCI think that he should only feature in major tournaments? But if he fails there, then once again there would be talks about his lack of form. I think that is an injustice for Virat Kohli," said Kaneria on his YouTube channel.
"You have to be very clear with how you want to handle him. While he was rested for the entire West Indies tour, he surely should have been there for the Zimbabwe series. He could have found his form in the 50-over games and then played the Asia Cup. But it seems now that he might be dropped for the Asia Cup as well," he added.
The embattled-Kohli could muster only 11 and 20 in the fifth and final Test against Edgbaston and continued his bad performances in the Twenty20s, where he could gather just 12 runs in two innings. The slump continued in the One-Day Internationals too. Kohli's wretched run continued with 17 and 16 in the two 50-over games in England.
"India shouldn't have picked Ishan Kishan in the side as Sanju Samson would then have gotten to play all three ODIs without any extra pressure. Instead of Kishan, Kohli should have been in the squad," Kaneria said.
“The management could have assessed his form in these games. He didn't rest during the IPL, but now that international cricket is happening, he has been asked to rest.”
Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan has been entrusted with an onus to spearhead the Men in Blue in Rohit Sharma's absence who has been rested for the Zimbabwe tour.
India’s squad for 3 ODIs: Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
