Asia Cup 2023: Harbhajan Singh questions Chahal's omission from squad - 'No better spinner in India...'

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Harbhajan Singh has questioned Yuzvendra Chahal's exclusion from India's Asia Cup 2023 squad and said that the presence of the leg-sinner in the line-up was important as he is a proven match-winner.

Chahal was overlooked as India selected Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel in the 17-member squad for the Asia Cup 2023. The leg-spinner was earlier not picked for the 2021 T20 World Cup and he did not get a game to play in the 2022 T20 World cup.

Yuzvendra Chahal was part of the white-ball leg of the West Indies series, however, Kuldeep Yadav played ahead of him in all the three ODIs. He featured in all the five T20Is but could pick only five wickets at an average of 32.60 and an economy rate of 9.05.

Harbhajan Singh said Chahal was the best white-ball sinner in India and should have been in the squad. He also hoped that the 33-year-old is considered for the World Cup 2023 which starts from October 5 in India.

"The one thing I feel is lacking in the team is the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal. A leg-spinner who can get the ball to turn away. If you talk about genuine spinner, I don't think there's any spinner in India better than Chahal in white-ball formats. Yes, his last few games weren't good, but that doesn't make him a bad bowler," Harbhajan said on his official YouTube channel.

"I think his presence in the team was necessary. I hope the doors aren't closed to him. It's important to consider him for the World Cup because the tournament is in India. Chahal is a proven match-winner. I can understand his form isn't good, so you may have rested him. But I think if he was with the team, his confidence would've stayed intact. Any player who comes back after being dropped, the pressure to perform is always there," he added.

Chahal has played a total of 72 ODI matches and picked 121 wickets at an average of 27.13 and an economy rate of 5.26. Captain Rohit Sharma has said that the Haryana-born spinner is still in contention to be named in India's World Cup squad.