The recent announcement of the squad for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies came with a surprising decision—Cheteshwar Pujara, a key member of India’s Test team, was dropped. As discussions unfold around Pujara’s exclusion, questions arise about whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pointing fingers at him for the team’s recent underwhelming performances.
It is worth noting that while Pujara faced criticism for his lackluster performance in the recent World Test Championship (WTC) Final, where he failed to make a significant impact, it would be unjust to solely blame him for the team’s defeat. The loss in the WTC Final against Australia was a collective failure of the Indian team, with several senior players, including skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill, also struggling to perform up to expectations.
Pujara’s individual scores of 14 in the first innings and 27 in the second innings of the WTC Final have been under scrutiny. However, it is important to consider the larger context of the game and acknowledge that cricket is a team sport where the collective effort determines the outcome.
The BCCI’s explanation that they want to provide opportunities to young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad raises uncertainty about whether this was the factual reason behind Pujara’s exclusion. While promoting young players is a commendable approach to ensure a strong bench strength, it remains unclear if this was the primary motive behind Pujara’s unavailability.
The decision to drop Pujara has sparked debates and discussions among cricket enthusiasts, with many questioning whether the BCCI is selectively targeting him while overlooking the collective shortcomings of the team.
