Deserving Players Whom BCCI Ignored For India ODI Squad vs England

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma - (Source: AFP)

On Sunday, June 21, the BCCI released a 15-member squad for India’s upcoming ODIs against England. Unlike past occasions, there was no press conference, and the list was made public via a Twitter post.

The development comes a day after India’s series against Afghanistan concluded. The apex cricket board of India named mostly the same players, but there were four players different for England ODIs. 

Major Takeaways From India ODI Squad

Virat Kohli returned to the squad after missing out on the Afghanistan series due to injury. However, the 37-year-old is still subject to fitness. Notably, Virat will undergo a physical evaluation on June 22 at the CoE, which will determine whether the medical team clears him for the England series or not.

Further, Axar Patel also returns to the team after being rested for the Afghanistan ODIs. Jasprit Bumrah also marks a return to the ODI set-up for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup. The right-arm seamer is fresh off a poor IPL season, where he picked up just four wickets.

Now, there are also several deserving players who missed out, and this article will shed light on those players who deserved a place in the 15-member list but faced an unexpected axe.

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

The first and foremost is Yashasvi Jaiswal. The southpaw scored a century in 3rd and final ODI against Afghanistan, yet he failed to find a place in the ODI squad. It is not the first time, but the second time that the BCCI dropped Jaiswal from ODI setup despite scoring a century.

Interestingly, Jaiswal was not even selected for Afghanistan ODIs, but came as a replacement for the injured Virat Kohli. However, the southpaw made full use of the opportunity presented to him. In the last three matches, Jaiswal has scored two centuries, and yet there is no place for him in the ODIs.

Also Read: Virat Kohli Not Cleared; India ODI Squad For England Tour Announced

Hence, the fans are upset that Jaiswal is being undone by the BCCI and deserves a place at the top for the Men in Blue. Although there is still a chance for him to return to the team, if Kohli fails to get fit in time.

(Yashasvi Jaiswal Stats in Last 3 ODIs for India)

2. Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad is another star who deserved to be part of India’s squad for England ODIs, but got overlooked by the selectors. Talking about Ruturaj Gaikwad, there is hardly any player who is doing better than him in the ODIs.

Talking about the ongoing Tri-series in Sri Lanka, Ruturaj Gaikwad amassed 274 runs in 5 innings, averaging 54.80, which includes a century. Even if we look at Vijay Hazare Trophy, then Gaikwad proved his mettle there and amassed 413 runs in 7 innings, averaging a whopping 82.60.

Now, interestingly, Gaikwad also received a Yashasvi Jaiswal-like treatment from BCCI, where he scored a century in his last match for India and yet got dropped. He scored 105 (83) against South Africa and averaged 56.50 in that series.

3. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj was a part of India's white-ball set-up and formed a formidable trio with Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. However, in the last few months, he has suddenly gone out of scheme of things.

Siraj last played an ODI for India in January against New Zealand and was not put into consideration for Afghanistan and England ODIs.

Also Read: Why Has Varun Chakaravarthy Been Removed From India Squad For Ireland T20Is?