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[Saba Sports News] Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has expressed his dismay after being omitted from India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe, despite his exceptional performance in IPL 2024. Chakaravarthy played a pivotal role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ success, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker of the season with 21 dismissals.
His exclusion was marked by his cryptic posts on social media, including one stating, “I wish I had a paid PR agency!” followed by the Serenity Prayer, reflecting his struggle with the selection outcome.
The decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ignited discussions on selection criteria, as the squad includes five debutants who also performed well in the IPL. This scenario highlights the complexities and possible inconsistencies in how performances are evaluated for national selection.
Chakaravarthy’s international stint has seen highs and lows; he debuted for India in July 2021 but was dropped after the T20 World Cup the same year due to underwhelming results. The upcoming Zimbabwe series, starting July 6, will be led by Shubman Gill in his captainial debut.
The series will rest most senior players, featuring other notable players like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Ravi Bishnoi as the only specialist spinner selected.
The current squad for Zimbabwe includes Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Tushar Deshpande.