The Indian cricket team’s decision to play Shreyas Iyer over Deepak Hooda in the first T20I against West Indies left many baffled, considering the form the latter has recently shown in the shortest format. As Iyer departed for a 4-ball duck in the match, calls for Hooda to be played over him intensified.
However, even before Iyer had perished without opening his account, the batter’s place in the team was questioned by experts. Former India cricketers Kris Srikanth and Pragyan Ojha also discussed the matter as pundits. Srikanth even questioned head coach Rahul Dravid over the preference of Iyer over Hooda.
“Where is Hooda? He did well in T20Is, He did well in ODIs as well. He is the guy who should be there. In T20 cricket you need to understand, that you need all-rounders. Batting all-rounders, bowling all-rounders, so more the all-rounders better for you,”
