'Well done selectors' - Twitterati react as Deepak Hooda receives call-up for West Indies ODIs

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced India’s squad for the upcoming home series against West Indies. Three ODIs will be followed by as many T20Is in the tour and the Men in Blue, after a disappointing show in South Africa, will fight for redemption. Notably, the national selectors have taken some major calls with players being awarded for their impressive show in domestic circuit.

Deepak Hooda is one of the notable inclusions in the team and the all-rounder, who has been picked in the ODI squad, will have a point to prove. The dasher has been around the scenes since a while and even boasts an impressive record in domestic circuit. However, hot and cold performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have restricted him from donning the national jersey.

It must be noted that Hooda has been a part of Indian team before but didn’t get a chance to make his debut. Nonetheless, he’s now back in the reckoning and it would be interesting to see if he gets a chance against the Men in Maroon or not. Notably, Hooda is known for his quick run-scoring in the middle-overs alongside bowling some handy off-spins.

Can Deepak Hooda end India’s quest for a batting all-rounder?

Hence, the 26-year-old has all attributes of ending India’s quest for a sixth-bowling option, who can bat in the top six. However, with less ODIs being played these days, Hooda has to make full use of any opportunity which comes his way. Notably, the likes of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya are unavailable due to fitness issues.

The selectors also dropped Venkatesh Iyer from the ODI team after a dismal show in South Africa. Also, vice-captain KL Rahul is unavailable for the opening match. Hence, there are pretty high chances of Hooda making a cut in the playing XI in the first game. Meanwhile, the ODI series gets underway on February 6 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This will be Rohit Sharma’s first assignment as full-time ODI captain and the veteran would be determined to make a mark.

India ODI squad against West Indies: Rohit Sharma (Capt), KL Rahul (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), D Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan

Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitterati reacted to Deepak Hooda’s selection: