After a series of low scores, India’s Test mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been dropped for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka that starts from the first week of March. Both Pujara and Rahane returned to play Ranji Trophy for their respective domestic teams with the former registering a duck while the latter hitting a century.
Former India Test opener Aakash Chopra thinks that while the door remains open for Pujara and Rahane, it’s not likely either of them will feature for India again in 2022.
“India have started moving in a different direction. It’s not the end of the road but they (Pujara and Rahane) are not part of the team as of now. It means they will have to go back to first-class cricket, score runs there and make an attempt to come back,” Chopra said.
“They will not come back this year, they can come back next year because this year all the series are in India except the one Test in England. So nothing is going to happen there. If you leave out such big players, you don’t bring them back in 15 days,” he added.
On Saturday, BCCI chief selector Chetan Sharma had announced an 18-man squad for the two Tests against Sri Lanka. Explaining the call to drop the seasoned batters, Sharma said they have been asked to go back to first-class cricket.
“Selection committee after a long deliberation has come to this decision, we have spoken to them (Pujara and Rahane) earlier and we have told them that we will not consider them for the two matches against Sri Lanka,” Sharma said on Saturday.
“The doors are open for them. There is no problems and we told them to play Ranji Trophy and that is the best part on both of us that such senior cricketers are going and playing Ranji Trophy,” he added.
