Team India has been facing severe criticism after the two-wicket defeat against West Indies in the second T20I. The most amount of backlash was directed towards skipper Hardik Pandya, who was severely criticised for his poor decision-making. After being restricted to 152/7, the visitors bounced back with the ball as Hardik and spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took three and two wickets respectively. However, it was Nicholas Pooran’s 67-run knock that guided West Indies to victory in just 18.5 overs.
After losing early wickets, the WI team found a glimmer of hope in the standout performance by Nicholas Pooran. His explosive batting display breathed life into the innings. In a crucial turning point, Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal emerged as the savior for his team. During the 16th over, Chahal managed to scalp two crucial wickets, swinging the momentum back in favor of the visitors. However, as the tension mounted, Captain Hardik Pandya’s decision to opt for Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar to bowl the final four overs instead of allowing Chahal to complete his quota of four overs raised eyebrows and stirred controversy. Many fans took to social media platforms to express their dissatisfaction, labeling the move as a tactical “blunder” from the skipper. The decision not to utilize Chahal’s remaining over did not sit well with cricket enthusiasts, who flooded Twitter with criticism directed at the all-rounder. Adding to the fans’ frustration was Pandya’s earlier statement, “It’s ok to be unique,” made before the third ODI against West Indies. This remark, in light of the recent match decisions, only fueled the social media uproar and led to a flurry of memes and comments from netizens. In a match that saw Rohit Sharma’s absence, Pandya took the reins of Team India for the second and third ODIs against West Indies. During a post-match interaction with Samuel Badree, Pandya was asked about the potential implications if he failed to carry forward India’s winning streak in the bilateral ODI series against West Indies. His response, “It’s okay. I like to be unique,” only added more fuel. Taking to Twitter, former India batter Aakash Chopra also criticized Hardik for not completing the four-over quota of Yuzvendra Chahal. The leg-spinner had a brilliant day with the ball as he scalped two wickets and leaked only 19 runs in three overs. “Chahal was the best Indian spinner…his 3rd over (16th over) spun the match in India’s favour. Hetmeyer…Holder dismissed by Chahal. Shepherd runout.
