IND vs SA 2022: "God save Indian cricket!" - Furious fans slam selectors for ignoring Tripathi & Samson in T20I squad against South Africa

Quite a few eyebrows were raised when the BCCI announced India's squad for the five-match T20 series against South Africa. While it seemed as though regular players KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant would be rested, they have been named captain and vice-captain respectively.

Moreover, there were some questionable selections like that of Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer. The trio haven't had quite the consistent IPL season with the bat and many were shocked that they were selected ahead of the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Sanju Samson.

Since 2021, Tripathi has scored a staggering 790 runs in the IPL and has shown great ability to shift gears, especially in the middle-overs. Sanju Samson has scored more than 850 runs in the same period and has played the role of a floater to perfection for the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Fans on Twitter were gutted to see the selectors sticking to the same old method of giving a number of runs more importance than the intent with which they are scored. They also slammed the management for ignoring the hard work of Tripathi, Prithvi Shaw and Samson.

Here are some of the reactions:

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Dinesh Karthik, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik get India call-ups

On the positive side of things, the selectors recognized the resurgence of the experienced Dinesh Karthik and have named both him and Hardik Pandya in the squad.

The 36-year-old has been quite vocal about his dream of representing India in at least one more World Cup, and this series will give him an opportunity to prove his mettle. Pandya has made a comeback after a significant absence caused by injuries. He has been batting at No.4 for his IPL franchise.

So it will be interesting to see whether Pandya bowls and also whether he is once again assigned the finishing role alongside Karthik. Umran Malik sent shivers down the spine of opposition batters with his searing pace this IPL season. The 22-year-old has been one of the finds of the season and will hopefully have an impact for India.

One of the most interesting inclusions is that of Arshdeep Singh. The left-arm pacer hasn't taken as many wickets for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) this season. But his incredible economy and ability to bowl yorkers almost at will at the death have been recognized by the selectors.

With the T20 World Cup just a few months away, this series against a strong South African side could go a long way in determining the future of a number of players.