Dilip Vengsarkar Joins in the Chorus and Slams Indian Team Management Selection Policy

Former Team India skipper and the chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar now slammed the selection policy which has been put in place by the team management.

India suffered their first bilateral series loss in the limited-overs format after they suffered an eight-wicket defeat to England in the third and the deciding ODI at Headingley in Leeds.

Vengsarkar has joined in the chorus of the selection policy. It has been harsh to see the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul not getting enough opportunities in the shorter version of the game which in turn has not allowed them to settle in the team.

Earlier, it was another former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who thrashed the selection policy. He stated how can you not have your best batters in the fourth position.

“Number 3 and number 4 is the most crucial pair,” Vengsarkar was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

“It speaks poorly of the selectors that we don’t have a settled number 4. How can you unsettle batsmen of the calibre of Rahul and Rahane?,” he added.

“If Ajinkya cannot fit in the ODI squad, there is something more to it than meets the eye. How can you drop Rahane in the next match India is playing (ODIs) after captaining the (Test) team against Afghanistan? How can you not have confidence in your top players of the calibre of Rahane, a proven player in English conditions?,” he said.

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Rahul or Rahane deserves an extended run in the limited-overs format:

Rahul or Rahane has not been given an extended run in the limited-overs format which has affected their combination in the middle order.

Dilip Vengsarkar said that Rahul, in particular, has just not been allowed to settle in the middle order.

India is yet to find a proper number four batsman which has hurt their preparations for the 2019 World Cup slated to be played in less than a year’s time.

“What’s going on? If you are going to play musical chairs then the confidence of the top players player’s will take a beating,” he said.

 

“It doesn’t augur well for the future. He (Rahul) has been unsettled, which is not good for a quality batsman,” he maintained.

It was Ganguly, who had also thrashed the selection policy. He had stated that there was no doubt that Rahul should play at No 4. He felt that Rahul should be given the confidence. And asked that even if he fails for 15 matches he would get another chance.

However, that hasn’t been the case despite scoring a century in the opening Twenty20 International against England and after a few poor returns.

Rahul was dropped from the third T20 and the deciding ODI which India lost quite badly.

“I think two of your best batsmen are not being looked after properly,” he had said.

 

“I’m not saying it’s deliberate. Maybe it’s a mistake, maybe when you look at things from the other side you look at it differently. But it’s my opinion, from this side of the ground, (either) of those two (KL Rahul or Ajinkya Rahane) have to play at 4. Because it’s too much pressure for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli,” he mainatined.

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