“Lollypop de diya bande ko” – Harbhajan Singh reacts to Yuzvendra Chahal’s snub from IND vs SA T20Is

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh recently opened up on the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa.

Harbhajan pointed out that despite performing well in T20Is, Chahal has been ignored once again. He, however, was happy to see the leg-spinner back in the ODI side.

In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said:

“There is no Yuzvendra Chahal in T20 format. You kept him in ODIs but not T20Is. Lollyop de diya bande ko (They gave him lollypop)."

"Aap jo format me acha karte hain wo nahi khilayenge baki ka format khilayenge (We won’t take in the format where you do well but will take for other formats). Ye mere samajh se pare hain (It’s beyond my understanding)," he added.

Yuzvendra Chahal is India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 96 wickets in 80 matches at an economy rate of 8.19. In ODIs, Chahal has scalped 121 wickets in 72 matches at an economy rate of 5.26.

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“I don’t think that selectors had a chat with Rahane, Pujara, or Umesh Yadav” – Harbhajan Singh on India’s Test squad for South Africa series

Harbhajan Singh looked discontent with the selection committee for ignoring Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Umesh Yadav for the two-match Test series against South Africa.

Harbhajan feels the selection committee should have had a conversation with the senior players before picking up the Test squad.

"South Africa tour is not easy. It’s tough for batters," Harbhajan Singh said. "There you won’t have Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Youth are indeed getting opportunities. It’s a good thing. But I don’t think that selectors had a chat with Rahane, Pujara, or Umesh Yadav because whenever Yadav has played in Tests, he has performed."

"I think the road is tough for a comeback (for these three players)," the cricketer-turned-commentator continued. "However, they have served Indian cricket, and are renowned cricketers. The board should have had a chat with them. They should have been informed why they are not picked and what is a possible path for them in their careers."

Ajinkya Rahane made his comeback in the 2023 World Test Championship final. The right-handed batter became India’s highest run-scorer with 89 and 46 in the first and second innings, respectively. The 35-year-old, though, managed three and eight runs during his two outings in the West Indies.

Cheteshwar Pujara amassed 649 runs in eight games at an average of 54.08, including three tons and two fifties, for Sussex in the 2023 County Championship. The 35-year-old played his last Test against Australia in the 2023 WTC final, scoring 14 and 27, respectively.

Umesh Yadav also played his last Test in the WTC 2023 final, where he scalped two wickets. Since 2020, he has scalped 28 wickets in 12 Tests. He recently scalped 15 wickets in six matches in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.