5 debatable decisions taken by Indian selectors in recent times

The exclusion of Karun Nair from the Indian team for the West Indies Test Series has brought the attention of Indian fans to an issue which deserves a lot of focus. The selection of the Indian team is always a debatable topic but the way it has been done in the recent times has only added layers to the debate.

The Indian selectors, in unison with the Indian Captain, have made some of the most bizarre decisions that an Indian cricket fan has ever seen. The present selection committee has made a habit of this and this definitely deserves the attention of BCCI and the cricket fans.

The present selectors have made a number of decisions which have been devoid of any logic and the frequency of such errors also seem to be increasing. In the last year or so the frequency of such decisions seems to have increased.

While the selectors have taken some bad decisions on their own, some of the other controversial decisions have been forced because of the preference that the Indian team management and the captain have displayed for some players.

Let's have a look at some of the decisions taken by the selectors in recent times which haven't been quite up to the mark.

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#5 Shreyas Iyer being dropped for the Asia Cup

Shreyas Iyer is one of the most talented batsmen in the Indian setup at present. He has been identified as the player who would replace Virat Kohli in the Indian team once he retires. He has been earmarked as the future Indian captain.

The selectors though haven't treated him in a way that is deserving of a player whom you consider as the future of Indian batting. Iyer was a part of the Indian squad for the England ODI series and he didn't get a single game in the entire tour.

Iyer was axed from the Indian squad for the Asia Cup at a time when you would have expected him to make it to the Playing XI in the absence of Virat Kohli after not being given a single chance throughout the England series.

#4 Murali Vijay being dropped mid-way in the England Test Series

Murali Vijay went into the England Test Series as India's no. 1 Opener in Tests. He was India's most trusted opener in foreign conditions but that trust lasted for just two Tests in the England Series.

Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul were the second and third openers in the Indian squad but they were the ones who were given an opportunity for the remained of the series even though they performed in a similar manner in the first two Tests.

Vijay has a technique which is far superior to Dhawan's or Rahul's and it was unfortunate to see him dropped mid-way in the series while Dhawan was backed and was given an opportunity to perform throughout the five-match Test series despite him having a poor overseas record.

#3 Manish Pandey being given a plethora of chances

Manish Pandey is one of the players who has been given opportunities after opportunities at a time when players like Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik have been struggling to get a chance in the Indian Playing XI

Pandey was given a number of chances in the Playing XI under Virat Kohli but he has failed on almost every occasion but that didn't stop the selectors from providing him with another chance in the Asia Cup.

Pandey was picked ahead of Pant and Shreyas Iyer in the Asia Cup squad but his performance in the only match that he got in the Asia Cup proved that this was yet another case of poor decision making.

#2 Procrastination of Mayank Agarwal's inclusion in the Indian team

Mayank Agarwal is one of the unluckiest players in the present Indian Cricket setup. He has performed brilliantly in Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions. He has been a prolific scorer in the Ranji Trophy.

Agarwal has been knocking the doors of the Indian team for quite some time now. He is an opener and he should have ideally been India's fourth Opener behind Murali Vijay, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan for the England series.

What happened though was completely different as a young Prithvi Shaw was selected into the Indian team ahead of a proven performer in Agarwal when the selectors decided to replace Murali Vijay.

Agarwal has been selected for the West Indies Test Series but he is unlikely to get a game as Shaw will most likely be handed a debut ahead of him. The entire concept of picking Shaw who was brilliant in IPL ahead of Agarwal who has performed for years together would baffle most cricket followers.

#1 Karun Nair being dropped from the Indian Test Team for the West Indies series

Karun Nair is one of the most under-utilized players of Indian Cricket in recent times. He is another player who seems to be out of favour of the Indian Captain as he prefers handing out opportunities to almost anyone but Karun Nair.

Nair has played in just six Tests for India and already has a triple century to his name. He has become one among the three Indian batsmen to score a triple century in just six Tests and the way he has been treated henceforth has been unfortunate.

Nair last played a Test in 2017 and since then players like Rohit Sharma and Hanuma Vihari have been preferred ahead of him. Rohit has been given plenty of opportunities in Tests and Nair has lost a number of chances as a result.

Hanuma Vihari who was selected for the Indian team for the first time in the England Tour was given a chance in the Playing XI ahead of Karun Nair. Nair has been in the squad for a long time without being given a chance in the XI and the fact that he has been dropped from the squad without playing a match for more than two years is a colossal mistake.