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India’s recent one-off Test against Afghanistan has put Shubman Gill in the wrong light, with many accusing him of favouring the Gujarat Titans players, as six players were part of the playing XI.
After memes went viral on social media, the former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has now addressed the debate by suggesting the real question should be whether there was anyone genuinely 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 Sudharsan have already been regular members of the Indian side. Chopra also said Manav Suthar deserved a spot in India’s XI against Afghanistan.
Aakash Chopra breaks silence as Shubman Gill faces Gujarat Titans favouritism claims
Aakash Chopra shared that he has seen fans joking on social media and questioning why so many Gujarat Titans players were in India’s team. Some people felt that Gujarat Titans players are getting more chances in the national side because Shubman Gill is the captain.
Defending Shubman Gill, Chopra asked the trolls which players actually deserved those spots ahead of the Gujarat players. Chopra called the criticism unfair just because those players come from the same IPL franchise as the Indian captain. He stressed that they were selected on 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, no questions asked. Sai Sudharsan was also part of the team. If you look at it from that perspective, you say their names would have come in any case, whether Shubman Gill or KL Rahul had been the captain.”
This used to happen in CSK’s era as well: Aakash Chopra targets MS Dhoni
The former Indian batter also reminded fans that this is not a new thing in Indian cricket. He pointed out that players from the captain’s IPL franchise have often been referred to even during MS Dhoni’s, Virat Kohli’s and Rohit Sharma’s eras, and it was not favouritism.
Chopra said, “This used to happen in CSK’s era as well. 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 Virat Kohli’s captaincy or Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, there is one thing for sure. Whoever you see closely and see repeatedly, it is not a bias.
But you see them flourishing even if the circumstances are bad, you know very well how they handle pressure, and you start admiring their skills a little more because they have been in front of you for a very long time. So, it does happen.”
Chopra also pointed out how Gautam Gambhir backed Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana because of his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The cricket pundit made it clear that if a player does not deserve a place, the selection committee will not accept any recommendation.
He further explained, “In fact, when Gambhir was KKR’s coach, after that, we saw many KKR players becoming a part of the T20 setup as soon as he became the coach. So, familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt. Familiarity also breeds trust. In my opinion, it’s a matter of trust.”