Wasim Jaffer, the former Indian cricketer known for his sharp wit and engaging social media presence, recently stirred discussions with a cryptic post regarding the absentees from India‘s T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The squad announcement faced criticism from fans and cricket analysts, as some players’ exclusion raised eyebrows in the wake of their excellent performances.

Wasim Jaffer’s tweet

Jaffer stirred discussions with a cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the absence of certain players from India’s squads. The veteran shared a picture featuring Bollywood actors Sanjay Dutt and Abhishek Bachchan, hinting at the omission of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma from the selection. Sanjay, in the film industry, is also known by his nickname Sanju, which is a key hint for decoding this tweet. The other one is that of the actor Abhishek and the cricketer Abhishek that also shares the same first name.

Sanju, known for his dynamic batting and wicketkeeping skills, and Abhishek, a promising all-rounder, showed decent performances in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which Men in Blue eventually clinched by a margin of 4-1. In this series, Abhishek shone with the bat, smashing the Zimabawian bowlers and making a ton in his second international outing. Meanwhile, Sanju also played a crucial knock in the final game, scoring 58 off 45 balls on a sluggish turf.

Also READ: Former India pacer takes a dig at selectors for picking Shivam Dube over Sanju Samson in the ODIs on Sri Lanka tour

India’s last outing on the Lankan soil

Last time, when India played against Sri Lanka in a bilateral series, India lost the three-match T20I series 2-1 to Sri Lanka, where Wanindu Hasaranga emerged as the chief destroyer with the ball, bagging seven wickets in the series. Meanwhile, India’s recent outing in the fifty-over format on Lankan soil resulted in India’s triumph in the final of the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup.

Also READ: Players left out for India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka 2024