Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has defended two debutants following India's third ODI against West Indies in New Chandigarh.
Ajinkya Rahane has backed two Indian debutants following their performances in the third ODI between India and West Indies held in New Chandigarh on October 3, 2026. Anshul Kamboj made his ODI debut in that match, replacing Auqib Nabi in the playing eleven. The match saw India fail to defend 352 runs, with both bowlers facing challenging conditions on the field.
Nabi had taken 0-84 in 8.5 overs during the second ODI before being dropped for the third match. Kamboj, a right-arm medium pace bowling all-rounder born December 6, 2000, finished with 0-82 in nine overs in his debut appearance.
"One should not judge them based on one performance. I think he (Kamboj) hit his lengths well and bowled as well as he could. There was not much help from the wicket. What's important is that how do you give them a chance. I feel really bad for Auqib Nabi, because he made his debut in the last game in a high-scoring match, and he did not get a chance after that. If you want to make a player, you will have to consistently give them chances," said Rahane on Cricbuzz.
Need not to bring every match a new player: Rahane
The former India batter highlighted the difficulty faced by players when selection decisions change frequently between matches. Nabi, a right-arm medium bowler from Jammu and Kashmir born November 4, 1996, had made his international debut on a flat pitch that yielded 811 runs in the second ODI. Rahane stressed that inconsistent opportunities create uncertainty for emerging players trying to establish themselves at the international level.
"If there are some players in the squad that don't get a chance in a series, then that is okay, you can give them a chance later on as well. It is not necessary that in every series you need to bring in a different player for every match. It becomes really difficult for the player. Now Anshul Kamboj must be thinking, 'When will my next chance come?' He saw Auqib Nabi play the last match and be dropped," Rahane said.