New Delhi, June 6 -- India's decision to leave out pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya from the T20I squad for the upcoming Ireland and England tour is part of a carefully calibrated strategy to preserve the country's most valuable white-ball assets for the 2027 ODI World Cup, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said on Saturday.
The omission of the star duo emerged as the biggest talking point from the squad announcement, overshadowing the appointment of Shreyas Iyer as India's new T20I captain and the maiden senior call-up for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Agarkar made it clear that the selectors were looking beyond short-term T20 assignments and prioritising the fitness and longevity of players expecte...