We will not be perfect always: Rohit Sharma on selection policy, captaincy and art of handling dropped players

With India’s Asia Cup squad being announced, there were a couple of major surprises in the squad with the 20-year-old Tilak Varma getting a late look-in in the ODIs and Yuzvendra Chahal being dropped from the ODI format altogether. It was on the expected lines given Chahal hadn’t featured in a single ODI out of the six matches India played against Australia and West Indies. But it wouldn’t have been an easy decision to drop someone like Chahal, who has been a regular in the white-ball side for a better part of the half a decade.

Now ahead of the Asia Cup, skipper Rohit Sharma has spoken on the selection policy and the art of handling players, who get dropped from the side. Rohit said that he and head coach Rahul Dravid try their best to explain to the players who get left out of the squad or playing XI why such a decision has been made but admitted that they will not be always perfect in that regard, however, they do try their best.

Speaking to PTI, Rohit said, “While picking the best combination, there will be guys who will miss out for various reasons and Rahul bhai (Dravid) and I have tried our best to explain to the players why they are not in the squad.

“We have tried to communicate with the players after every selection and playing XI that has been announced. We talk to them face to face, one-on-one why they have not been picked.

“Me, coaches, and selectors, take into account all factors like opposition, surfaces, our strengths, their weaknesses, and then reach a common ground. There is every chance that we will not be perfect always,” Rohit further added.

Rohit agreed that they are humans at the end of the day and are bound to make mistakes. Rohit further said that his captaincy isn’t based on personal likes and dislikes and there’s a reason for every change.

“It’s not like, I don’t like this person, so I am dropping him. Captaincy is not based on personal likes and dislikes. If anyone misses out, there is a reason for it. If you are the unlucky one, we can do nothing,” he added.

As chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned, the World Cup squad will be chosen from the 18-member player pool for the Asia Cup and only an injury could force any major change.

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