Former captain Steven Taylor has been dropped from the T20I squad for the upcoming series against Nepal. The 31-year-old struggled with poor form during the World Cup and the 50-over series in the Netherlands, leading to his exclusion. Although Taylor was part of the T20I squad for the Netherlands, he was “rested” after sustaining an injury during the preceding 50-over series.
Cricbuzz reports that Taylor was still recovering from his injuries before the team’s tour of Namibia, which is believed to have contributed to his absence from the traveling party. Despite demonstrating his form and fitness with two centuries in the recently concluded Minor League T20, he was overlooked for selection.
Nitish Kumar has also been dropped after averaging just 13 in his last seven innings since the World Cup. The former captain of Canada, who switched teams ahead of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, struggled to find his form after an impressive 27 against India. Additionally, Smit Patel’s rise in American cricket has been hindered by a groin injury that will sideline him for six weeks, preventing him from participating in the upcoming 50-over tri-series.
On a positive note, the USA squad welcomes back talismanic fast bowler Ali Khan. The 33-year-old is set to wear the USA colors for the first time since the World Cup after opting out of the Netherlands tour and recovering from a leg injury that kept him from playing in the CPL with the Trinbago Knight Riders. Aaron Jones returns to the squad after choosing to play in the CPL for the St. Lucia Kings instead of touring Namibia. His return was influenced by his standout performance in the CPL final, which captured attention in the cricketing community.
Monank Patel will resume his role as captain after resting due to a shoulder issue during the T20Is in Namibia. Utkarsh Srivastava retains his spot in the squad for a third consecutive tour. The 17-year-old has played in only one of the 15 games the USA has featured in since his inclusion in the squad.
Squad: Monank Patel (Captain), Andries Gous, Abhishek Paradkar, Ayan Desai, Harmeet Singh, Juanoy Drysdale, Milind Kumar, Ali Khan, Nosthusha Kenjige, Jasdeep Singh, Aaron Jones, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shayan Jahangir, Utkarsh Srivastava, Yasir Mohammad.