Too late now for Yuzvendra Chahal to make India's T20 World Cup squad: Saba Karim

Yuzvendra Chahal was left out of India's squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. The lineup was announced before the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 on September 19.

Chahal's form for India had taken a dip and in the first half of the IPL season, his performances did not inspire much confidence. This led to Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy being picked over him for the World Cup.

However, in the second half of the IPL, Chahal bounced back and showed why he has been a mainstay for India in the shortest format of the game.

In the five games since the resumption of IPL 2021, Chahal has picked up 10 wickets. He also turned in a Man of the Match performance against Rajasthan Royals and another match-winning show against Punjab Kings as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) sealed a spot in the playoffs.

His performances have led to calls for him to be drafted into India's squad for the T20 World Cup, with Rahul Chahar woefully off form.

However, former India cricketer and selector Saba Karim feels it's too late now for Chahal and he can only be called up to the team if someone gets injured. Speaking on the Khelneeti podcast on Youtube, Saba Karim said:

"I think it’s too late now. People have been talking about making changes in the squad, but that can only happen if someone gets injured. You also have to see Rahul Chahar was performing very well when he got selected. We saw both of them (Chahal and Chahar) in Sri Lanka, and his performances there were definitely noteworthy, which is why he was picked by selectors."

Yuzvendra Chahal needs to be patient despite improved performances: Saba Karim

Yuzvendra Chahal was a mainstay in India's T20 team but has been left out of their squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Saba Karim said that Chahal has drastically improved his performances in the second half of the IPL but will now have to wait for his chance. He added:

"Now, in the second half of the IPL, Chahal has shown great improvement in his performances, which is very good. But he will have to wait a little. The players who have been selected, their form and performances will be seen before Chahal is given a chance again."

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Saba Karim also said that selectors should have picked players with more experience as the World Cup requires that. He explained :

"There has been talk of so many youngsters doing well but when you are picking a squad for the World Cup, you have to go in with some experienced players because the World Cup is a different platform. If you look at previous World Cups winners, those players do well that have experience of having played more T20 matches at that level. We should also not forget that there is a big difference in the quality of competition in the World Cup and IPL.

Chahal has moved above Rahul Chahar in the wicket-takers list in IPL 2021. He had only four wickets in seven matches before the tournament was halted and now has 14 in 12 matches.