Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik revealed that clarity from the team management helped in leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and pacer Harshal Patel not sulking or getting upset over not finding a place in the playing eleven during India's campaign in the Men's T20 World Cup in Australia.
Both Chahal and Harshal featured in many T20I matches for India in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, including in practice matches. But when the actual tournament happened, neither of the two were able to find a place in the playing eleven at any stage of the tournament.
"Both those guys are the only ones who haven't played a single game in the tournament. They didn't sulk or get upset once because they were very sure. At the start of the tournament, they were told that under these conditions, we would be playing you; otherwise, it might be difficult."
"So, they were very aware and were preparing in such a way that when they get an opportunity, they would try and do their best, but there might be a chance that they ended up not playing," Karthik was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
While Chahal is India's second highest wicket-taker in T20Is, quite surprisingly he hasn't played in any T20 World Cup match for since making his international debut in 2016. Chahal was a surprise exclusion from India's squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup and despite making the cut this year, he didn't get any match in the showpiece event as Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel got the nod ahead of him.
Harshal, on the other hand, featured in 23 T20Is for India since his debut after last year's T20 World Cup. He even recovered well from a rib injury to get back into the team in time for this year's T20 World Cup, but did not get a game as India persisted with pace combination of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami.
Karthik, who featured in the tournament, went on to say that how role clarity didn't led to the duo not being upset. "So, when that clarity is there from the coach and captain, it makes the job easier for the player because you just start looking inward and thinking, okay what do I do to start preparing better."
"That is what they were doing, and had they been given a chance, they would have given their best. This is a very high-intensity tournament. As mentioned, he (Chahal) played a lot of matches for India, and he knows the feeling of being dropped."
Although India topped Group 2 in Super 12s, they suffered a thrashing ten-wicket defeat to England in the semi-finals of T20 World Cup, drawing severe outrage on their style of play in T20Is.With the BCCI advertising for a brand new selection committee, Chahal and Harshal could play major role in the format as road to 2024 T20 World Cup, to be held in West Indies and USA, begins.