SL vs IND 2024: Every player who’s left out feels hard done by – Ajit Agarkar on India’s squad selection

India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar has opened up on the selection panel’s dilemma to pick only 15 players in the squad. The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (ODIs), and Ruturaj Gaikwad were dropped from India’s squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka despite performing well in Zimbabwe.

While Sharma scored a blistering 47-ball 100 in the second T20I against the African nation, Gaikwad scored 133 runs in three innings in a recently concluded five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.3. Furthermore, Sanju Samson had scored 108 runs off 114 balls in the last ODI against South Africa while playing away.

However, Agarkar said someone deserving will have to miss out as they can only pick a 15-man squad.

Ajit Agarkar said in the press conference on Monday, “Every player who’s left out feels hard done by. Our challenge is to pick only 15. You try and get the best balance possible. So someone’s likely to miss out. Sometimes, they have had decent performances in recent times but you’ve got to see who is picked ahead of them. Are those guys not deserving of their place? If that’s the case, then there are things to discuss.”

The former Indian fast bowler gave Rinku Singh’s example as the left-hander had unluckily missed out on the T20 World Cup squad.

“I mean Rinku for no fault of his missed out from the World Cup, it’s an example. He had a terrific [run in the] T20 leading up to the World Cup. But sometimes it’s just the way it goes. Unfortunately for us as well, it is difficult to fit everyone in the fifteen.”

The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka will be played in Pallekele on July 27.

T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.

ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.