Umesh Yadav's selection for T20I series vs Australia questioned by ex-cricketers, fans

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) added Umesh Yadav to the T20I squad for the three-match T20I series against Australia on Sunday, as a replacement for Mohammed Shami. Having played his last T20I match in the T20 World Cup 2021, Shami was set for a return to the team for the upcoming T20I series in Australia. However, the veteran pacer tested positive for Covid-19, which led to Umesh’s inclusion into India’s T20I mix for the first time in two years.

Umesh played his last T20I match against Australia in February 2019 and has played only in the red-ball format for India. His inclusion in the team at a time when they are preparing for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia has received mixed reactions from cricket enthusiasts.

Speaking about Umesh Yadav’s addition, former Team India cricketer Aakash Chopra took to his official Twitter handle and revealed his views on the same. 

'Plans gone a little awry?': Aakash Chopra

Chopra pointed out that since the T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE, India has played loads of T20I games, but Shami and Yadav have hardly featured in the matches. However, with just four weeks to go for the 2022 World Cup, it is a bit awry that the duo has become a part of the plans. Both players share a total of 27 wickets between them in 24 T20I games for India. 

“Since the last World Cup, India has played loads of T20I games but Md. Shami and Umesh Yadav didn’t feature in any one of them…and with just four weeks to the World Cup, both have become a part of the plans. Plans gone a little awry?,” Aakash Chopra wrote on Twitter. In the meantime, cricket fans in India flooded social media with their interesting reactions on Yadav’s inclusion into the team.

Internet reacts to Umesh Yadav's inclusion into India squad vs Australia

India's pace lineup for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022

Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the key pacers in India’s lineup for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, which is scheduled to begin on October 22. While the pace trio is expected to feature in the playing XI alongside Hardik Pandya, Shami was included in the list of reserve players for the World Cup. India is scheduled to play two three-match T20I series against Australia and South Africa in the next one month, ahead of the World Cup.

India squad for the Australia series: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav.

India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.