Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra said that Team India should have given Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya more time in the middle during the warm-up match against England.
However, Team India registered an easy seven-wicket win in their first warm-up match prior to the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup. While KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant stole the show with the bat, Yadav and Pandya did not get much time as well.
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Fine bowling display š#TeamIndia beat England & win their first warm-up game. š š#INDvENG #T20WorldCupšø: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/jIBgYFqOjz
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 18, 2021
While reflecting on India’s run chase in a video, he elaborated: “There was a big question in my mind that when Ishan was batting well, why did you send Rishabh Pant. End of the day, Surya made 8 runs off 9 balls, neither the form came nor went, you don’t know what really happened. Hardik Pandya, the shots he played, all balls were not hitting the middle of the bat, and once again a story which is unfinished.”
Aakash Chopra further added: “You did not have a need to send Rishabh Pant there, you could have sent Suryakumar Yadav and then Hardik Pandya so that both of them would have got some game time. Rishabh Pant had scored runs just now in the IPL as well.”
KL Rahul is India’s best T20 batsman at this point in time – Aakash Chopra
Warming up in style! š„
5ļøā£1ļøā£(24) for @klrahul11. šš»šš»#PlayBold #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/GygDhoCnhb
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) October 18, 2021
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya come into the T20 World Cup on the back of some stunning performances in IPL 2021. Although the duo seemed to be getting out of touch towards the end of the tournament, a little more time in the middle would have been helped them as well.
Speaking about that the veteran said, “The captain has said that Rahul is going to open and there is no doubt that Rahul should open. In my opinion, he is India’s best T20 batsman at this point in time, nobody comes close.”
“If you are speculating if Ishan can open or come in the middle order, you didn’t make him bat in the middle order and there is no place where you made him bat. I think Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are your two openers however well Ishan Kishan might bat,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
Virat Kohli led Team India will begin their campaign against Pakistan on Sunday.
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