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India’s recent one-off Test against Afghanistan has put Shubman Gill in a bad light, with many accusing him of favoring Gujarat Titans players, as six players were part of the playing eleven.
After the memes went viral on social media, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has now addressed the debate, suggesting that the real question should be whether there is actually anyone more deserving of those spots in the Indian line-up.
The commentator has pointed out that players like Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Sai Sudarshan have already been regular members of the Indian team. Chopra also said that Manav Suthar deserved a place in India’s XI against Afghanistan.
Aakash Chopra breaks silence when Shubman Gill faces Gujarat Titans’ claims of bias
Aakash Chopra shared that he has seen fans joking and questioning on social media why so many Gujarat Titans players were in the India team. Some people felt that Gujarat Titans players were getting more opportunities in the national team because Shubman Gill is the captain.
Defending Shubman Gill, Chopra asked trolls which players actually deserved a spot ahead of the Gujarat players. Chopra termed the criticism as unfair as those players come from the same IPL franchise as the Indian captain. He emphasized that he has been selected on the basis of merit and performance.
Aakash Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel: “Should Washington Sundar not have been selected? He should have been selected. Manav Suthar has justified his selection. Siraj and Prasidh Krishna again asked no questions. Sai Sudarshan was also part of the team. If you look at it from that perspective, you say his name would have come in any situation, whether Shubman Gill or KL Rahul was the captain.”
This used to happen even during CSK era: Aakash Chopra targeted MS Dhoni!
The former Indian batsman also reminded fans that this is nothing new in Indian cricket. He pointed out that players from captaincy IPL franchises have often been referred to even during the era of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and it was not favouritism.
Chopra said, “This used to happen during the CSK era too. When MS Dhoni was the captain, we saw many CSK players playing, but there were many players who were actually match winners. After that, whether you see the captaincy of Virat Kohli or the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, one thing is for sure. Whoever you watch closely and watch again and again, there is no prejudice.”
But you see them thrive even when conditions are bad, you know well how they handle pressure, and you start to appreciate their skills a little more because they’ve been around for so long. So, it happens.”
Chopra also spoke about how Gautam Gambhir had supported Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana because of their stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The cricket pundit made it clear that if a player does not deserve a place then the selection committee will not accept any of his recommendations.
He further explained, “In fact, after Gambhir was the coach of KKR, we saw many KKR players becoming a part of the T20 setup as soon as they became the coach. So, familiarity does not always breed contempt. Familiarity also breeds trust. In my opinion, it is a matter of trust.”
