Sunil Gavaskar Weighs In On Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane's Team India Future After Test Axe

Veteran batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were both dropped from the Indian Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka. In the squad announcement on Saturday, Team India chief selector Chetan Sharma said the duo will need to find a way back to the national side through good performances in the Ranji Trophy. Both Pujara and Rahane have been in a poor run of form and struggled throughout 2022. According to former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, time is not on Pujara and Rahane's side and the duo will find it "difficult" to play for India again.

“They can return, why not? If they display very good form, score 200-250 in every Ranji Trophy match, then return is definitely possible. But after this Test series, there is just a one-off Test in England and then after that there is the T20 World Cup, so we will be in November and December (for the subsequent Test)," Gavaskar told Sports Tak.

"So I think time will not be on their side because they will be in their mid-30s. If a chance has been given to youngsters in these two vacant spots -- and if those youngsters take this opportunity by their hands -- then it will be difficult for them (Pujara and Rahane) to return to the team," he added.

Asked whether he expected the veteran duo to be axed, Gavaskar replied, "This was expected because in the three Test matches they played in South Africa, if they scored a century or someone scored knocks of 80-90, then it would have been a different story. Yes, Ajinkya Rahane scored a half-century but apart from that not many runs were scored when runs were expected of them."