Chetan Sharma, an ex-fast bowler, was designated as the selector of the national team in December 2020. During his time as the head selector of the Indian men’s cricket team, they participated in two T20 World Cups and the ultimate match of the World Test Championship.
With that being said, let us examine the 5 major controversies that occurred during his time as the chief selector of the Indian men’s cricket team.
Investigative Reporting conducted by a News Channel
During the current, highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series, a TV channel aired an interview with Chetan Sharma which made a stir. Sharma made several assertions – including players using injections to be totally ready to play and Ganguly not being in favour of Kohli and also not favouring Rohit.
Virat Kohli’s Unceremonious ODI Departure
Virat Kohli stepped down as Indian captain of the T20I team prior to the 2021 World Cup. Nevertheless, Chetan Sharma’s selection committee thought having two separate captains for white-ball cricket was not feasible. Consequently, Rohit Sharma was appointed as India’s leader for both white-ball formats.
Wriddhiman Saha Receives Threats from Boria Majumdar
After Wriddhiman Saha, the Indian wicket-keeper had last played Test cricket for India in 2021, Boria Majumdar, a journalist, requested him to feature in an interview on his channel, only to be met with no response. The journalist then adopted an aggressive stance and suggested that an interview on his channel would improve Saha’s chances of being chosen.
Ravi Shastri’s Explosive Interview with Arnab Goswami
Ravi Shastri was in charge of the national team for a period of five years, and after India was eliminated from the T20 World Cup, he granted a heated interview to Republic TV. He declared that the selection committee, headed by Chetan Sharma, is in charge of the team composition and the captain and coach do not have a say in it.
Hardik Pandya’s Tense Exchange with Journalist Over Availability
At a press conference, a reporter remarked that the selectors would select Hardik Pandya once he was healthy enough to play. This comment enraged Chetan Sharma, who then demanded the journalist to contact Hardik himself since he did not have his contact number.
