Aakash Chopra recently expressed his displeasure when Shivam Dube was left out of the 17-man team for the three T20Is against South Africa.
Chopra questioned why Dube was not named to the South Africa T20I team after warming the bench during the home T20I series against Australia.
The former cricket player who is now a broadcaster also stated that players and selectors should properly communicate while making such selections.
Aakash Chopra wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):
“Sometimes you wonder about selections and certain players. India picked Shivam Dubey for a 5-match T20i series vs Australia. Didn’t play him in a single match. Now, he doesn’t make it to the 17-member squad vs SA. How does one communicate this to a player?”
Aakash Chopra
Shivam Dube played his final game for India in Hangzhou, China, in the 2023 Asian Games. In the final, he scored an unbeaten 25 in a single innings and took one wicket against Afghanistan.
Dube’s outstanding play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the most recent Indian Premier League (IPL) led to his national homecoming. With a strike average of 158.33, the 30-year-old scored 418 runs—three half-centuries—in 16 games.
The left-handed hitter recently scored 190 runs in seven innings for Mumbai in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at a strike rate of 129.25. In the T20 event, the part-time medium pacer also took one wicket.
Zaheer Khan unhappy with Shivam Dube’s bench role in Australia T20Is
Former India cricketer Zaheer Khan believes the team’s management failed to test Shivam Dube during India’s home T20I series triumph against Australia. With only six T20Is remaining until the 2024 T20 World Cup, the cricketer-turned-commentator believes the Men in Blue should have played him.
Zaheer told Cricbuzz recently:
“You look at Australia how they have gone about approaching this series. So, you [also] could’ve done that. Right now, knowing that Hardik is not fit, you want to look at those options.”
Zaheer Khan
He Added:
“If they (things) don’t go as per plan, then this is the opportunity missed for sure because you had a chance,” he added. “You won the series right now. You could have tried different players and if it means that one of your main players is sitting out, it doesn’t matter.”
Zaheer Khan
India is presently playing a three-match Twenty20 International series in South Africa. With the first game called off due to rain, the action will transfer to St. George’s Park in Gqeberha for the second T20I on Thursday.