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Cricket

'Hardik khud ko jyada hushar samjh raha hai' - Fans slam team management for ignoring Prithvi Shaw for third T20I against NZ

Prithvi Shaw, the Indian opener, was excluded for the third T20I played on Wednesday and here's how fans have reacted to the same.

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'Hardik khud ko jyada hushar samjh raha hai' - Fans slam team management for ignoring Prithvi Shaw for third T20I against NZ

'Hardik khud ko jyada hushar samjh raha hai' - Fans slam team management for ignoring Prithvi Shaw for third T20I against NZ (Image Source: Twitter)

India won the second T20I chasing a target of 100 with 1 ball to spare against New Zealand and on February 1, Wednesday, the team competed against the Kiwis for the final ODI before heading for the Tests vs Australia. That being said, to the surprise of the Indian fans, Prithvi Shaw, who got a national call-up after almost 18 months, failed to make a cut to the playing XI. 

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For the unversed, it was Hardik Pandya who called it right at the toss and elected to bat first, with Umran Malik replacing Yuzvendra Chahal being the only change made in the playing XI for the contest. Fans, on the other hand, were puzzled about the exclusion of Shaw despite Kishan’s continued poor run in the first two T20Is. 

The right-handed batter, on the other hand, is coming off a stupendous domestic season and there were reports about Shaw’s off-the-pitch behaviour that is still preventing him from making a comeback for team India. It remains to be seen if the batter would be recalled for the upcoming T20Is although the Men in Blue would be playing lesser T20Is this year on the back of the 50-over World Cup which will take place later this year. 

Tough on the batters in the last two games: Hardik Pandya

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Pandya, the Indian skipper, opened up on batting first and said that the team wanted to put runs on the board, as the talented batters had a tough time scoring runs in the initial two games. Notably, the Indian batters looked out of their comfort zone in the first two games and in the second T20I specific where the team had no idea chasing a meagre target. 

“We're going to bat first. Want to put some runs and take the game from there. Looks like a very good wicket, we played here in the Indian T20 League final where the ball did a bit more in the second innings. Tough on the batters in the last two games, but credit to them for the approach they have shown,” Pandya was quoted as saying at the toss. 

“This is what as a unit we strive for, we are going to get tested but we will learn from it. These kind of knockout games teach you a lot. One change - Umran comes in for Yuzi because this surface looks like it will help the fast bowlers,” he added. 

Here’s how fans have reacted to Prithvi Shaw’s exclusion from the final T20I played on Wednesday: 

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