'It was the TOUGHEST call of T20 WC selection meeting': Chief selector Ajit Agarkar's BIG admission

Team India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 was announced on Tuesday. There was a big surprise as Rinku Singh was omitted from the 15-member squad and was only named in the reserves for the T20 WC. There was a huge outcry over Rinku's exclusion due to his immaculate performances for India since he made his debut. 

Rinku has an average of 89 and a strike rate of 176 in the 15 matches he has played for India so far and his non-selection seemed like injustice as everyone saw him as India's ideal finisher. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar touched opon Rinku's exclusion and described his omission from India's T20 World Cup squad as the "toughest" call, saying the in-from swashbuckler has "done nothing wrong" and it all came down to combinations.

ALSO READ | 'It's tough to replace...': Who is going to be India's vice-captain at T20 WC? Ajit Agarkar responds

The toughest call of India's selection meeting for T20 World Cup 2024

Rinku, Kolkata Knight Riders' big-hitting finisher from Aligarh, could not find a place in the 15-member squad as the think-tank preferred Chennai Super Kings' Shivam Dube over him.

His exclusion became a major talking point as Rinku has scored 356 runs at an average of 89 and strike rate of 176.24 in T20Is for India.

"It (not picking Rinku) is probably the toughest thing we have had to discuss. He has done nothing wrong, not even Shubman Gill for that matter. It is not his fault that he missed out. It's about combinations," Agarkar said during a press conference here.

"A couple of wrist spinners were included to give Rohit (Sharma) more options. There are two keepers, we needed an extra bowler. It's just unfortunate. He's in the reserves, so that tells you how close he came into being in the 15. But at the end of the day, you can only pick 15 players in the squad," Agarkar added.

Rinku, who is not having a great IPL season as he is not getting to face enough balls, though made it to the list of reserves.

Rinku had been fast-tracked into the Indian T20I team after a fantastic run in the IPL last year but this season, he has managed just 123 runs in nine matches with a strike rate of 150.00.

Whereas Gill, captaining Gujarat Titans this time, has aggregated 320 runs from 10 matches at a strike rate of 140.97. The left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal has been preferred over Gill. 

(with PTI inputs)