Chahal not in 15-man squad; Iyer, Thakur, D Chahar named reserves
Washington Sundar, who has been key in India’s T20I setup, has been ruled out due to a finger injury that has also put him out of the second half of IPL 2021. Sundar’s injury may have paved way for Ashwin’s return to the T20I squad. Ashwin had an excellent IPL 2020, picking up 13 wickets in 15 games at an economy of 7.66 and leading Delhi Capitals’ charge to their first-ever final.
Meanwhile, Dhawan is believed to have been given a rest. Chief selector Sharma said he couldn’t reveal the reasons for not picking him but that he remains “an important player and will be back soon.”
The current squad doesn’t have a left-arm seamer, with the closest contender T Natarajan not picked owing to lack of recent competitive cricket. Natarajan, like Iyer, has been in rehab for a knee injury that ruled him out of the first half of IPL 2021. He is, however, likely to take the field for the second half which starts on September 19.
The selectors have until October 10, towards the back end of the IPL, to make any changes to India’s T20 World Cup squad. This means players on the fringes still have an opportunity to make a case for themselves if last-minute replacements are needed.