'17 people for three games- why?' - Aakash Chopra questions team India's selection ahead of South Africa tour

The BCCI unveiled the team for India's crucial South Africa tour on November 30, encompassing three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests. Aakash Chopra, former Indian cricketer, raised eyebrows over the selection of a 17-player squad for a concise 3-match T20I series against South Africa. The tour commences with the initial T20I clash slated for December 10 in Durban, sparking discussions about the selection strategy within cricketing circles.

Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja secure spots in the T20I squad announced by BCCI. Notably, Prasidh Krishna, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, and Shivam Dube missed out from the current squad battling Australia in the 5-match T20I series. Suryakumar Yadav assumes leadership in the T20Is while Hardik Pandya remains sidelined, nursing an ankle injury, shaping the team dynamics for the imminent series.

"Suryakumar Yadav is the captain here, which is fair. Ravindra Jadeja is the vice-captain of this team. It is an interesting development. A 17-member team has been announced. 17 people for three games-why?" Chopra questioned on his YouTube channel.

"Then Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan. All of them cannot play. So it will be interesting for whoever tries to make the XI from this. Ultimately, there will be at least four people who won't get to play even a single match. So you have sent them for sure, but you won't gain anything from that," he added.

It’s almost same team that is playing against Australia: Aakash Chopra

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opted for a break from the limited-overs series, continuing the trend of senior players resting from the shortest format. A 17-player squad opens doors for contenders like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad vying for the opening position. Chopra emphasized the impending challenge of structuring the batting lineup, highlighting the dilemma faced by the management in finalizing the order.

"It is almost the same team that is playing vs Australia. Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja have come in. It will be interesting to see who bats where because Yashasvi, Shubman and Ruturaj - all cannot open," Chopra concluded.