Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has questioned Anshul Kamboj’s selection ahead of Harshit Rana for the next Test in Manchester. The Men in Blue are desperate to level the series and needs a win at Old Trafford.
However, the side has been crippled with injury concerns to key players who are now ruled out of the series. Nitish Kumar Reddy is ruled out with a knee injury. Arshdeep Singh is also as good as ruled out with an injury to his bowling hand.
Akash Deep is struggling with groin injury concerns and might miss the fourth Test starting from July 23. In such a scenario, the BCCI selectors decided to add Anshul Kamboj as cover to the side despite having the likes of Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur already part of the team.
Also Read: DPL 2025: Harshit Rana Named Captain Of North Delhi Strikers
What Actually Goes On - Aakash Chopra On India's Selection Pattern
Now Aakash Chopra has questioned Kamboj’s selection ahead of Harshit Rana, who was with the India A side and was asked to return back after the end of the India A series. He has questioned the rationality behind adding Kamboj into the side. He played two India A games picking up five wickets at an average of nearly 30.00.
“It's very interesting. There was a lot of chatter about Anshul Kamboj. He did well for India A as well, but when there was an opportunity earlier, the team management chose Harshit Rana first. Anshul was sent back home, and now we are learning about his name again,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Harshit Rana is not there. Now you have to wonder, what actually goes on? How do you determine who to keep and who to let go of? If you talk about performances for India A, Anshul's performance was better, but you kept Harshit Rana looking at continuity,” he added.
Chopra Hints At Lack Of Clarity
The former Indian opener has also said that the Gautam Gambhir-led management lacks clarity over the addition of players. “If that was the case, then you should have kept Harshit Rana now as well. But he is not there; Anshul Kamboj is there. No clarity whatsoever,” said Chopra.
“Maybe the management knows, but nobody is telling us anything. This comes as no surprise. Anshul Kamboj was deserving; he is now with the team,” he added.
The Indian thinktank is still thinking about the possible playing combination, keeping in mind the conditions in Manchester. There is rain expected during the Test match and it has rained a lot in the city in the past week.
Also Read: IND vs ENG 2025: Anshul Kamboj To Make His Test Debut In Manchester: Reports
