Who said what - top 3 expert reactions to India's squad selection for South Africa tour ft. AB De Villiers

BCCI recently announced India's squad for the upcoming South Africa tour. The tour will start with three T20Is, followed by three ODIs, and conclude with a couple of Test matches. As all three formats will be played, a large contingent of players has been selected.

India's T20I squad vs South Africa: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Chahar.

India's ODI squad vs South Africa: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C)(wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar.

India's Test squad vs South Africa: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohd. Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna.

As always, the Indian squad announcement has caused a debate online. Like fans, some experts have also shared their thoughts on the squads. Here are the top three expert reactions to India's squad selection for the South Africa tour:

---

#1 "I don't exactly know how long he will play for": AB De Villiers

South African legend AB De Villiers spoke about Virat Kohli's future ahead of the South Africa tour, as the veteran Indian batter has been omitted from the limited-overs squads. He reckons it is natural to feel tired after an ODI World Cup, where Kohli played all 11 matches for India.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, De Villiers stated:

"I hope he continues to play ODIs and Tests. I'm sure he has got a plan in place. It's very reasonable and normal for him to be tired, to feel like it's time for him to unfold that final chapter in a way. I don't exactly know how long he will play for but I would like it to be for as long as possible."

He continued:

"He's been incredible to watch and we all want to see a little bit more of him. The South Africa series is important to him, and he might play a few, rest and sit out a few and find a way to manage himself leading up to the end of his career."

The former RCB batter concluded:

"At a very early stage, Virat found a way to master his own game, understand what works for him and he has taken that into the highest-pressure moments. It's a privilege to have shared the dressing room with him, partnerships with him and some incredible moments with him. He's a fantastic player and long may that continue. Hopefully, that career has got a few more years in it."

---

#2 "There have been big changes in Test cricket": Aakash Chopra

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has been a regular when it comes to opining about the current affairs of international cricket. He had a lot of things to say about the Indian squad for the South Africa tour on his YouTube channel.

Speaking on the Indian Test squad, Chopra believes things are changing quickly as Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have both been dropped. Other than that, he was more or less happy with the rest of the squad, keeping the South African conditions in mind.

He said:

"There have been big changes in Test cricket. The stories have changed because both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are not there. Ajju was the vice-captain but isn't even part of the team now. Things are changing fast."

The former Indian opener feels that the ODI squad was selected just for the sake of it, looking at some of the players that have been picked. He was highly critical of the Indian ODI squad.

Chopra elaborated:

"I feel they (selectors) are saying they would make a team just because you have to play, or else the ODI squad is totally beyond my understanding. I feel they have just filled in the blanks, that not much ODI cricket is going to happen, so why should you break your head over it too much."

Questioning Yashasvi Jaiswal's omission from the ODI setup, he added:

"This isn't a proper team when you go through it. Ruturaj Gaikwad is a part of this team but Yashasvi Jaiswal isn't. He is there in T20Is and Test cricket but not in ODIs. The guy can play well in T20Is and Tests but won't play well in ODIs, I have got no idea how that was deciphered."

The commentator believes that the Indian ODI squad's batting looks feeble:

"Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar and Sanju Samson are part of this team. The batting is not looking that impressive - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh is playing ODIs as well, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul is the captain and Sanju Samson."

Finally, Chopra also shared his thoughts regarding the Indian T20I squad. He has questioned why 17 players have been selected for a three-match T20I series.

He said:

"Suryakumar Yadav is the captain here, which is fair. Ravindra Jadeja is the vice-captain of this team. It is an interesting development. A 17-member team has been announced. 17 people for three games - why?"

---

#3 "They have served Indian cricket": Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian spin legend Harbhajan Singh took to his YouTube channel to laud the selection committee for selecting Sanju Samson in the ODI squad.

The Turbanator said:

“There is Sanju Samson [in ODIs]. It’s good news. Wicketkeeper batter because he is always the topic of why Samson is not getting picked. I am happy to see Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Rajat Patidar getting opportunities. Deepak Chahar has made his comeback.”

He also questioned why Jaiswal is missing from the ODI squad:

“Let’s talk about Yashasvi Jaiswal. He is not part of this team. I think he should be part of this team [ODIs] as well. [He's] A quality and tremendous player. The team is looking at him in Tests and T20Is but not in ODIs. There are a lot of flaws (in the selection process) that I can’t fathom.”

Harbhajan spoke on the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal from the T20I squad, which he feels is Chahal's preferred format.

The cricketer-turned commentator said:

“There is no Yuzvendra Chahal in T20 format. You kept him in ODIs but not T20Is. They gave him lollypop. They won’t select him in the format where he does well but will select him for other formats. It’s beyond my understanding."

The 43-year-old was unhappy with the selectors ignoring Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Umesh Yadav from the Indian Test squad.

He said:

"South Africa tour is not easy. It’s tough for batters. 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."

Harbhajan concluded:

"I think the road is tough for a comeback (for these three players). 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."