IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2023: Fans react after Mohammed Shami left out of India's playing XI

India and Pakistan are locking horns in a highly anticipated Group A Asia Cup clash on Saturday, 2 August. The match is taking place at the prestigious Pallekele International Stadium, marking the first ODI encounter between these arch-rivals in nearly four years. Indian captain Rohit Sharma, having won the toss, has elected to bat first.

The Indian team has strategically chosen the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur as part of their playing XI, leaving Mohammed Shami on the sidelines. Shami, a seasoned player with 90 ODIs under his belt, has impressively claimed 162 wickets while maintaining an economy rate of 5.60 runs per over. On the other hand, Shardul has showcased his talent with 58 wickets in just 38 ODIs.

Thakur, however, offers India a valuable batting option at number eight, a quality that is lacking in Shami's game.

Nevertheless, the decision to exclude the veteran has come as a surprise to a certain segment of Indian fans who had high expectations of his inclusion in the squad and his potential to play a pivotal role.

Here's how fans reacted to Shami's omission:

Shami is in the squad and they played shardul ahead of him ? Why?

— Shantanu  (@Shantanu630) September 2, 2023

Why Shami dropped @ImRo45 ?#INDvsPAK #PAKvIND #pakvsind

— Ankur (Kanpuriya) (@rishu717) September 2, 2023

I don’t agree with the team selection.. we have kept out quality players like Surya and Shami who can win games on their own.. I would have gone with Surya and Shami in place of Hardik and Thakur. https://t.co/Fd7jdqTElk

— Puspendra Srivastava (@iampuspendra) September 2, 2023

Sanjay Manjrekar said, "Mohammad Shami would've been more threatening to Pakistan than Shardul Thakur. You talk about batting depth, but bowling depth matters too". pic.twitter.com/p9N3gBsHIU

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 2, 2023

The Asia Cup is now available for free streaming on mobile devices through Disney+ Hotstar.

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