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The Indian team is all set to play the first of the three-match T20I series against South Africa. The match will be played at the Green Field International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Just a few hours before the match, the Indian cricket board confirmed three major changes in the squad for the T20I series against the South Africans.
Senior pacer Umesh Yadav, senior batter Shreyas Iyer, and Shahbaz Ahmed have been included in the team. Notably, they’ve replaced the senior pacer Mohammed Shami, Deepak Hooda, and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Speaking of Shami, Hooda, and Pandya, then the senior pacer hasn’t recovered from COVID-19, Hooda sustained an injury in his back whereas Pandya is in the National Cricket Academy conditioning treatment ahead of the World Cup.
The more interesting fact that is striking the minds of the experts and the fans is that none of these three included players is a part of the squad of the Indian team for the 20-20 World Cup 2022.
The decision from the selection committee didn’t go down well with the Indian cricket fans. They took no time in lashing out at the Chetan Sharma-led committee and the Indian cricket board as well for ignoring the young talents. Fans also went on to say that the Indian management is doing nothing just rewarding the failures.
Here’s how fans reacted to the inclusion of Umesh, Iyer, and Shahbaz:
Experience ke naam pe Umesh is back kuch din baad Ishant bhi aajayega. Indian Cricket Team selection hai ya Pension Yojna. https://t.co/aEXvfQ465v
— Awarapan 🇮🇳 (@KingSlayer_Rule) September 28, 2022
rewarding failure https://t.co/O87NA2oKBL
— : (@ffsvirat) September 28, 2022
Umesh Yadav again🤣BCCI not brave enough to consider young pace bowlers even in a bilateral series…never learns from repeated failures…rewarding failed bowlers again… https://t.co/a7bPerbCXQ
— Sajeev menon (@Sajmenonsinger) September 28, 2022
Umesh kyu phir se 🔪🔪🔪 https://t.co/d6rH6YOzh9
— . (@_timepass__) September 28, 2022
Umesh Yadav again?😳 https://t.co/gvbJtooI3B
— Snap (@ObsessionSnap) September 28, 2022
Ye Umesh Yadav kiski parchi hen ye to world cup ke plan me bhi nahi tha fir kaha se agaya team me ?🤔 Kon hen ye andha selectors, jo pichle saal world cup khel rahe the rahul chahar,Varun chakraverthy vo log to gayab he,umran Malik ko innlogo ne 2 matches me judge karliya wah
— Ramesh Bharvad (@im_rv019) September 28, 2022
Seriously Umesh🙃
— The Warrior🥷 (@TheWarrior93000) September 28, 2022
Selectors Before Selecting Players pic.twitter.com/9kkmjnGbyn
Umesh yadav ko kyu le rhe ho
— Sonu Chirya 🇮🇳 (@Zeet338866) September 28, 2022
Umran malik , siraz ,ko kyu nhi
Seriously selectors Umesh Yadav before selecting the team do you guys drink or what he @y_umesh he is not at all in the World Cup team + he neither in the back up but you still want to play in the South Africa series what kind selection you guys are doing
— Mohammed Ibrahim (@Mohamme45886989) September 28, 2022
Speaking specifically about the 34-year-old senior pacer Umesh Yadav, then he made a surprise comeback in the T20I squad of India during the recently-concluded T20I series against Australia. He was picked by the selectors as a replacement for another senior pacer Mohammed Shami.
Notably, the skipper Rohit Sharma and management also gave a chance to Umesh Yadav in the playing XI of team India during the first T20I. He scalped two wickets by conceding 27 runs in just two overs. Fans were expecting that he might not be there in the squad for the three-match T20I series against the Proteas.
Given his performance in the Mohali T20I against Australia, where he leaked 27 runs in two overs and picked two wickets, the fans didn’t expect him to retain his place for the upcoming series against the Proteas.