“Kiski jagah daalte?” - Ishant Sharma backs Indian selectors amid harsh criticism on selection calls

Veteran Indian pacer Ishant Sharma has come out in strong support of the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, amid the harsh criticism on social media platforms for excluding multiple in-form players for the Asia Cup 2025 campaign and the Australian tour.

Speaking on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Ishant reckoned that there was a lot of chatter on social media on Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion. However, he noted that it’s all about the team balance, and fans should instead question the ICC for allowing only a 15-man squad and not 20 members. 

“There’s always a lot of talk around players like Shreyas Iyer not being picked, but the real question is — kiski jagah daalte?” Ishant Sharma said on Raj Shamani’s podcast.

“Either you ask the ICC to allow a 20-member squad instead of 15 because India has so much talent. It’s very difficult to make people understand. Yes, you might be a fan of an individual, but the most thankless job in cricket is that of a selector,” he added. 

“If they pick one player, he’s good in the eyes of fans, but the one who isn’t picked suddenly makes the selectors look bad. I’m not saying anything against Shreyas, he’s a class player, no doubt, but it’s a question of balance,” he stated.

Ishant Sharma, who last played for Team India way back in 2021, also talked about the non-selection of in-form players like Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul in the shortest format of the game, adding that it’s all about non-selected players getting a lot of backing on social platforms. 

“Take Rishabh Pant in T20s, who can replace him? Or KL Rahul, who had a strong IPL but didn’t make the T20 squad. If Rahul was picked, maybe Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson or someone else wouldn’t have been. That’s the reality. Jo nahi hote na, unki hi sabse zyada baat hoti hai. [The ones not selected will always be talked about more than the ones who are],” he concluded.

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