Aakash Chopra has expressed his disappointment at the exclusion of Rajasthan Royals’ all-rounder, Rahul Tewatia, from the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The BCCI had announced a 20-man squad with as many as 5 net bowlers for the limited-overs squad against Sri Lanka. It included several newcomers, namely Devdutt Padikkal, Chetan Sakariya, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The team will be marshalled by Shikhar Dhawan, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the pace attack. However, the thing that stands out according to Aakash Chopra, is the fact that Rahul Tewatia has been ignored by the selectors for the tour. Chopra was miffed with the selection of Krishnappa Gowtham as well since he doesn’t have any match practice.
There cannot be greater injustice than this – Aakash Chopra
The commentator-turned-commentator posted a video on his YouTube channel, where he mentions that the selectors ignored Rahul Tewatia, despite him not getting any chances to show his skill at the international level.
“Where is Rahul Tewatia? Because the last time the team was picked, Rahul Tewatia was in the team. He did not play there. Tewatia played for Rajasthan Royals, where his performances weren’t great or bad. From there, he was just dropped. There cannot be a greater injustice than dropping someone without playing them,” he said.
Rahul Tewatia became a household name in the IPL after smashing five sixes in an over-off West Indian pacer, Sheldon Cottrell. Aakash Chopra pointed out that the selectors didn’t give him a chance to replicate such a performance at the highest level.
“When you select someone in the Indian team, his entire family, clan and coaches become happy that the player whom they have invested in since childhood has been selected. You did not give him a chance to fail or succeed and you dropped him,” Chopra stated.
