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Umesh Yadav (Source: Twitter)
The much-anticipated team for the remaining three Tests were announced earlier in the day by Indian Cricket Board. The squad for the remaining Tests were full of surprises due to absence of some big names like Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer as well as also because of the inclusion of one youngster, Akash Deep. However, post the selection of Akash Deep, there were a lot of fans hoping for someone like Umesh Yadav to be back in the squad citing poor performance from India pacers apart from Jasprit Bumrah.
Despite consistently performing well, the veteran India pacer has been repeatedly passed over for selection in the Indian squad over the past year. His most recent appearance for India was during the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023. Since then, Yadav has remained on the periphery, eagerly awaiting a recall to the national team. The 36 year old pacer playing for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy, has stood out as a remarkable performer, demonstrating exceptional bowling skills.
In the current season, he has taken an impressive 18 wickets in only three matches, solidifying his position as one of the top pacers in the tournament. In the midst of his exceptional performance in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24, Yadav sparked intrigue with a cryptic Instagram story, leaving fans and pundits pondering its hidden message. Though cryptic in nature, this post appears to allude to Yadav's reaction to being overlooked for the national team despite his remarkable displays in domestic cricket.
The legendary bowler wrote on his social media handle “Kitaabon par dhool jamne se, Kahaaniyan khatm nahi hoti.”
— Akash Kharade (@cricaakash) February 10, 2024
Virat Kohli to miss remainder of series due to personal reasons
Following the announcement of the much-anticipated squad for the remaining three matches of the series against England, fans were both surprised and disappointed to find Virat Kohli's name missing. Initially included in the squad for the first two Tests, Kohli chose to withdraw himself due to personal reasons. Despite speculations about his potential return for the last three matches, the latest update confirms Kohli's decision.
The former India skipper informed both the Indian Cricket Board and the selection committee of his absence from the Test matches against England. The Indian Cricket Board revealed the squad for the upcoming Test matches against England on Saturday, February 10, with some adjustments, notably the sidelining of Shreyas Iyer due to injury and Kohli's anticipated absence from the squad.