Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif questioned the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Dhruv Jurel's selection over Sanju Samson in the three-match ODI squad against Australia.
Mohammad Kaif questioned ODI selection
Kaif, who was a part of India's Champions Trophy winning squad, admitted that Jurel is the future of Indian cricket but leaving out Samson was a wrong decision because he plays in the lower order, around number five or six, and for that position, he is a much better option than Jurel.
"I feel that Dhruv Jurel played really well when he scored that century (against WI). He looked very compact and organised, and he is definitely the future of Indian cricket. He has that ability to score in every match. But leaving out Sanju Samson was a wrong decision because Sanju usually plays in the lower order, around number five or six, and for that position, he is a much better option than Jurel," Kaif said in a video.
Kaif explained Samson's selection over Jurel
ALSO READ: Revealed: Why West Indies wearing black armbands during second Test against India
Kaif reckons that Samson would have added more value to the team than Jurel at the No. 5 or No. 6 spot in the team.
"At that spot, you need someone who can hit sixes, especially against spinners. We saw Sanju Samson's strength in the Asia Cup. If he had gone to Australia, he would have hit Adam Zampa for maximums. He's in the top 10 for most sixes in the IPL, and he fits perfectly at number five or six in Australian conditions," Kaif added.
"Right now, we tend to focus only on current form, like how well Jurel played recently, and in doing so, we forget players like Sanju who have been performing consistently and are deserving," he said.
India vs Australia schedule
The three-match ODI series between India and Australia is scheduled to take place from October 19. The matches will take place in Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | October 19 | Perth Stadium |
| 2nd ODI | October 23 | Adelaide Oval |
| 3rd ODI | October 25 | Sydney Cricket Ground |
Squad
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.