Former South Africa captain and swashbuckling batter, AB de Villiers voiced his disappointment on Indian selectors' decision to drop Yuzvendra Chahal from the Asia Cup squad. De Villiers and Chahal have played a ton of cricket together for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Proteas legend is well-versed with the leg-spinner's match-winning attributes.
"It is a bit of a disappointing drop for me as well. I think Yuzi is always handy with that leg-spinning option. We know how skillful and smart he can be. But the decision has been made and it is what it is," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
Chahal performed poorly during the recently-concluded India's tour of the West Indies and thus, the Rajasthan Royals' spinner lost his place in the Indian side. Chahal's poor form directly coincided with Kuldeep Yadav's stupendous show with the ball which ultimately made a difference. Moreover, Chahal's lack of ability to contribute some handy runs with the bat also weakened his case for selection.
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah will return to ODI cricket after making a successful comeback to international cricket during the Ireland series. For the right-arm pacer, the upcoming Asia Cup will be a huge tournament that will not just ascertain his fitness but also ease some nerves in the Indian camp ahead of the ODI World Cup.
De Villiers is excited to watch how Bumrah fairs in the continental competition. The Indian seamer will have his tail up and a point to prove with the team highly dependent on his mercurial talent with the ball.
"Bumrah even won the Man of the Series in Ireland, coming back from injury, which shows you what kind of talent he is. I have heard the coaches say that he has never been away. I am not surprised at all with Bumrah's performance and it's exciting to see him in form," said De Villiers.
The 2023 Asia Cup is scheduled to begin on August 30 and India are slated to begin their campaign on September 2 against arch-rivals Pakistan.
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