Manish Pandey had every reason to be disappointed after he was snubbed for the World T20despite a sensational hundred against Australia in the final ODI of the five-match series Down Under last month.
However, former India captain Sourav Ganguly urged the stylish Karnataka batsman to not lose heart and focus on the future.
Pandey, who replaced Virat Kohli for the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka in February, was also overlooked for the Asia Cup. The selectors, who retained Ajinkya Rahane, stuck with the same squad for both tournaments.
"Pandey should not be too sad. He has to take it in his stride. Rahane deserves it more than he does. It's only a matter of time before Pandey gets his chance. The Asia Cup and World T20 is not the only cricket he will play. He has already made a name for himself and he will get his chance soon," Ganguly told Sports Today.
The selectors sprang a surprise by naming Mohammed Shami in the squads but Ganguly insisted it was a good risk. The Bengal pacer had last played for India in the World Cup semifinal in March and even though he was included in the Indian team for the ODI series against Australia, Shami had to fly back before the first match after injuring his hamstring again.
Ganguly said India needed extra pace and since they did not have any confidence in Umesh Yadav after his disappointing tour of Australia, picking Shami made sense.
"I'm not surprised with Shami's inclusion. India needed pace and they would not have gone for Bhuvneshwar Kumar; they did not have confidence in Umesh. India have taken a chance with Shami. He was out for nine months and then had a hamstring injury in Australia.
"It seems Shami is a better option than the others. It all depends on whether he's fit (in time) or not. In case they don't find him fit before the start of the tournament, the selectors will find a replacement. That's the reason they have gone ahead with Shami. He's a good risk if he works out"
There were no major other changes to the team that won the T20 series against the Aussies. Delhi spinner Pawan Negi, who replaced Axar Patel for the Sri Lanka series, has also been named for the Asia Cup and the World T20.
Young seamer Jasprit Bumrah, who made a good first impression Down Under also figures in the World T20 as does Hardik Pandya. Ganguly also hailed the selectors for showing faith in senior left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra.
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