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'Kohli Has the Same Average as Pujara': Aakash Chopra Questions BCCI's Selection Policy for West Indies Tour

image-ljb233r5Kohli has been criticised for his performance [AP Photos]

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) excluded veteran batter, Cheteshwar Pujara, from the Indian squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies, a decision that has garnered criticism.

Pujara's omission from the Indian team has been the primary focus of the squad announcement, especially after his underwhelming performance in the World Test Championship final against Australia where he scored 14 and 27 runs.

Opening up on the same, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra, voiced his disappointment towards BCCI's decision via his YouTube channel. He drew attention to the statistical performance of top-order batters, specifically highlighting that both Pujara and former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, have averaged the same since January 2020.

In the said period, Pujara, despite being dropped from the team last year, played 28 matches and scored a total of 1455 runs. Kohli, on the other hand, played 25 matches and amassed 1277 runs.

Chopra refrained from voicing a direct opinion, opting instead to share these data points for viewers to interpret. Using the numbers as a backdrop, he brought attention to other notable players' performances.

“Rohit Sharma has scored the most runs with an average of 43 in 18 matches. Shubman Gill averages 32 in 16 matches and KL Rahul 30 in 11 matches. Pujara has an average of 29 in 28 matches. Kohli, during the same period, also has the same average as Pujara. The only difference is that Kohli has played three matches less than Pujara. Ajinkya Rahane, who has played 20 matches, his average is the worst in this list, which is 26.50," said Chopra.

The cricketer-turned-commentator reflected that these statistics evidently formed the basis for Pujara's exclusion from the squad. He also added that while Rahane made a comeback despite poor performance, Pujara too had earlier been dropped and then re-inducted based on his commendable performance in county cricket.

However, looking ahead, Chopra pointed out that with the new cycle of the World Test Championship on the horizon and Pujara not getting any younger, the Indian team might be eyeing a new direction.