"Riyan Parag's name is there despite"- Former Indian cricketer rips apart BCCI for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma treatment

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has reacted to Riyan Parag's selection for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. Aakash Chopra noted that Riyan Parag was picked over Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad despite his underwhelming performance in the recent T20I series in Zimbabwe.

On Thursday, July 18, the BCCI announced the squads for India's limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. Riyan Parag retained his spot in the T20I squad and received his first call-up to the ODI team. The Men in Blue will play three T20I matches and three ODIs, starting with the first T20I in Pallekele on Saturday, July 27.

Riyan Parag's Name Is There In Both Teams - Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra stated that he was surprised by Shubman Gill's appointment as vice-captain, given Hardik Pandya's role in that position during the World Cup. Chopra also pointed out the absence of Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad from the India squad.

"Shubman Gill is the vice-captain, and that's a big story. Hardik Pandya was the Indian team's vice-captain in the World Cup. He also performed very well. India won the World Cup as well but after that, his name is not there as a vice-captain," Chopra said.

"Riyan Parag's name is there in both teams, in ODIs and as well as T20Is. His name is there, despite his Zimbabwe tour not being that good. Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad's names are not there. I am talking about T20Is. Both their names are not there but Riyan Parag's is there. That says something," he added.

Riyan Parag had a standout performance with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He scored 573 runs at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate of 149.22, including four half-centuries. He made his international debut for India in the recent five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Parag scored 24 runs at a strike rate of 88.88 over two innings in the T20I series against Zimbabwe. In contrast, Abhishek Sharma scored 124 runs in four innings at an impressive strike rate of 174.64, including a century, while Ruturaj Gaikwad amassed 133 runs at a strike rate of 158.33 across three innings.

Yuzvendra Chahal Bags Are Packed In T20Is - Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that he isn’t too concerned about Kuldeep Yadav’s omission from the T20I squad. Chopra mentioned that Yuzvendra Chahal's absence from both teams indicates the end of his T20I career.

"Kuldeep Yadav is also not there here. Kuldeep Yadav hasn't been picked in T20Is. I am not reading too much into it although it seems like coach Gambhir likes all-rounders. It seems like Yuzi Chahal's bags are packed in T20Is. Yuzi's name is not there in the ODI team as well, which is another point of discussion," Chopra further stated.

Chopra observed that Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar, who participated in the Zimbabwe series, have not been selected for the Sri Lanka tour. He noted that Khan and Kumar performed well recently. The former opener stated that Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mohammed Siraj will be India's first-choice pacers.

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