Chief selector Ajit Agarkar emphasizes the need for game time for Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami ahead of India’s upcoming Test series against the West Indies.
New Delhi, September 25 (ANI) — Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has shared insights regarding Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami, underscoring the significance of match experience for both players as they vie for regular selection in the national team.
On Kishan’s inclusion in the Irani Trophy squad, Agarkar remarked, “Yeah, he’s in the Irani Trophy team, yes. When we picked India A, he was not yet fit anyway. So he’s fit now. He’s a very good player as we know Ishan Kishan, but we’d like him to play a bit more cricket and show some performances.”
Turning to veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, Agarkar acknowledged that there were no new updates regarding his status but pointed out his limited recent match practice. “I don’t have an update. I think he has not played a lot of cricket in the last 2-3 years. I think he’s played one match for Bengal and one for the Duleep Trophy. So as a performer, we know what he can do, but he will need to play some cricket,” Agarkar explained.
On Thursday, Agarkar announced a fifteen-member squad for the upcoming home Test series against the West Indies, which is set to commence on October 2 in Ahmedabad. Despite speculation that Shubman Gill might be rested due to his participation in India’s Asia Cup T20I campaign, the selectors have opted for a full-strength squad, which includes Jasprit Bumrah, as they aim to maintain a robust World Test Championship campaign.
India will face the West Indies in two Test matches during this series. Notably, Karun Nair has been left out of the squad, while Ravindra Jadeja has been appointed as vice captain.
Prasidh Krishna, who showcased a promising performance in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, has been included in the squad despite suffering a head injury during India A’s second match against Australia A in Lucknow on Wednesday, which forced him to leave the field.
Rishabh Pant will miss out on the series as he continues his recovery from a foot injury. The Indian team is also preparing for the Asia Cup final on Sunday, September 28, which leaves Gill and several other players with only a few days to transition into the Test squad.
The selectors’ decision to field a strong lineup reflects India’s commitment to a successful World Test Championship campaign.
The Indian squad for the Test series includes Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, N Jagadeesan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav.
The rest of the India squad for the Irani Cup features Rajat Patidar (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Aryan Juyal (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Yash Dhull, Shaikh Rasheed, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, and Saransh Jain.
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