T20 World Cup 2021 | Dropping Yuzvendra Chahal was a difficult call, admits Virat Kohli

10/16/2021

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Virat Kohli admitted that dropping Yuzvendra Chahal from the India's T20 World Cup squad was a difficult decision for the selectors and the team management. The India captain explained the selection of Rahul Chahar over Chahal, stating that the former was more suitable to the UAE pitches.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Rahul Chahar’s form have taken contrasting turns since the announcement of the Indian squad for the T20 WC in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Chahal picked 14 wickets in eight matches played in the second leg of the recently concluded IPL 2021 in the UAE, whereas Chahar was dropped from the Mumbai Indians' playing XI four games into the UAE phase. Chahar, however, had played his part in MI's win in IPL 2020 in the UAE, and had showcased flashes of brilliance during India's home T20I series against England earlier this year and in Sri Lanka in June.

Virat Kohli explianed the decision behind Chahar's selection over Chahar, highlighting the latter's ability to bowl quick that would come in handy on UAE pitches.

"It was a difficult and challenging call (dropping Chahal),” Kohli said during a media interaction organised by the ICC on Saturday.

"We decided to back Rahul Chahar for a reason, he is a guy who bowls with pace. Bowled well in Sri Lanka and in England also he was good. The wickets in UAE will be slow and the guys who bowl with some pace, attack with stumps and that is the factor that tipped the balance in favour of Rahul."

The Indian skipper was in all praise for Ravichandran Ashwin, who he feels has improved a lot as a white-ball bowler in recent times.

"The one thing Ashwin has really improved is that he is bowling with a lot of courage,” Kohli said. “He is not shy to put the ball in the right areas against batsmen like Polly (Pollard), lengths at which the bowlers can be hit. Ashwin has been rewarded for reviving his white-ball bowling.

"Ash and Jadeja have been performing really well which augurs really well for us as a team to see these finger spinners back."

India will begin their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign in a Group 2 Super-12 encounter against Pakistan in Dubai on October 24.