"Tilak Varma is dropped for no reason" - MI star's snub for Zimbabwe tour leaves fans furious
Updated - 24 Jun 2024, 06:48 PM
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The BCCI on Monday announced a 15-member squad for India's upcoming tour to Zimbabwe. The two teams play a five-match T20I series between July 6-14. All the matches will be played in Harare. Shubman Gill will lead the squad. This is the first time he is leading the Indian team in any capacity.
Gill will be leading the squad and several players who performed well in the IPL have been given an opportunity. The likes of Rinku Singh and Avesh Khan who were in the reserves for the T20 World Cup have also been included. Yashasvi Jaiswal who is with the Indian T20 World Cup squad has been included as well.
Among the other important names include Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar and Tushar Deshpande.
IPL performances have been given recognition in the selection of these above-mentioned players. Parag ended up as the third-highest run-scorer while Abhishek Sharma along with Travis Head redefined T20 batting inside the powerplay.
The bowling attack looks good with the selection of players like Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Ravi Bishnoi, and Avesh Khan. Thus it is a very new-look Indian batting and bowling attack that the BCCI selectors named looking forward to giving them opportunities.
It is a new-look Indian team with all the senior players being rested. The senior players will be back with India playing against the likes of South Africa and Australia later this year. The Zimbabwe tour meanwhile is a good opportunity to test out these youngsters with the future of Indian cricket in mind.
Gaikwad and Parag ended up as the second-highest and third-highest run-getters respectively. Both scored over 550 runs this season. Nitish Kumar Reddy won the Emerging Player of the Year award for scoring 330 runs in 11 matches for SRH. Jaiswal ended with 435 runs after a slow start.
Talking about the bowlers, Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar ended with 17 wickets each. Avesh Khan ended with 19. Among the key bowlers BCCI did not include are names like Harsdhit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy. Both played a key role in KKR's title-winning campaign with 19 and 21 wickets respectively.
One key name that was not included among the batters was Tilak Varma. In another disappointing campaign for Mumbai Indians, Tilak was the only batter who looked in good touch. He ended with 416 runs in IPL 2024 at an average of 41.60 and a strike rate touching 150.
Twitter Reacts To Tilak Varma's Snub From India Squad
Interesting thing here is Chahal and Shivam Dube who currently aren't in consideration in other formats don't find a place in this T20I team while they are currently in the T20 world cup & Dube is playing in the first XI
— Raghava (@belongs2raghu) June 24, 2024
And as I expected, Tilak Varma is dropped for no reason https://t.co/gGVvOcnNph
Should have selected Harshit instead of Tushar. Tilak Varma too deserved a place. Rest is fine. https://t.co/ClL6UTpbsN
— Rocky Sharma (@RockySh42535091) June 24, 2024
Harshit Rana,Yash Dayal,Tilak Varma missing.Tilak Varma exclusion all the more surprising because the team has many openers and very less middle order batsmen. https://t.co/uPFx28HSnk
— CRIcket ONly (@cric_vi) June 24, 2024
No tilak varma 😱😱😱😱 https://t.co/C40YdGtrgr
— jon snow (@msdhoni2000) June 24, 2024
No Tilak Varma, who was literally looking like a sure shot in T20i and had a decent IPL.
— Priyansh (@bhhupendrajogi) June 24, 2024
No Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer. https://t.co/FHhUVaI6Gu
No Tilak Varma in the Indian team for the Zimbabwe T20I series. Very bad behaviour BCCI. pic.twitter.com/QK1mpkCiHq
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) June 24, 2024
Why no Tilak Varma? 💔 https://t.co/S5xZk0XJ1g pic.twitter.com/TW4YykpoFA
— Mumbai Indians FC (@MIPaltanFamily) June 24, 2024
Harshit Rana, Tilak Varma and Jitesh Sharma left out for no reason? https://t.co/NxNCqMSbq7
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) June 24, 2024
Sandeep Sharma and Tilak Varma should've been a part of this squad.#IndVsZim https://t.co/5eVIraR7AI
— Karan (@karan_hingorani) June 24, 2024
If this news is true, What about Tilak Varma? He was in the contention in the main team not so long ago. But now can't find a place in second string team. He hasn't done much wrong in the T20Is. Had three back to back good IPL seasons batting in all kinds of positions https://t.co/HiThWQOuf7
— Raghava (@belongs2raghu) June 24, 2024
Talking points for me:
— Cricketism (@MidnightMusinng) June 24, 2024
1) Why no Yuzvendra Chahal? He’s not playing the World Cup games so doesn’t need a rest
2) Why no Harshit Rana?
3) No Tilak Varma, which is surprising #INDvsAUS https://t.co/LWzNvvnlUp pic.twitter.com/TinpmOXbL1
The southpaw has decent numbers in T20I cricket for India as well. In 15 matches, he has 336 runs batting in the middle-order at an average of 33.60 and a strike rate touching 140.
