Former cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed that India’s lower-middle order is still a concern for the team in the shortest format of the game. He highlighted that Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer’s failure in the India vs New Zealand T20 series.
The Indian top-order performed brilliant in the series, however, the lower-middle order failed to make an impact. Wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant managed just 33 runs in three innings in the series. While reviewing the final T20I, Aakash Chopra pointed out India’s lower-middle order woes. He said,
“The middle-lower order is still a concern because Rishabh Pant hasn’t really batted the way we wanted him to bat. He hasn’t batted the way he can bat, you expect more from him.”
“The runs come from his bat, he hits sixes as well but I feel he hasn’t yet fully cracked the T20 code, which is a bit of a disappointment. He is absolutely sensational in Tests, it is the format he has cracked easily but he is still figuring out his ways in the other formats,” Aakash added.
The attempt was to get Shreyas Iyer to do something different at Number 5 – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra was also critical of Shreyas Iyer’s performance in the series. Playing at Number 5, Shreyas Iyer scored 30 runs in two innings in the series. The former cricketer pointed out that Shreyas Iyer’s dismissal in the last game. He said,
“The number at which Shreyas Iyer was made to bat, the attempt was to get him to do something different at No. 5. He had an opportunity as well in the last match, played a bad shot to get out.”
Aakash Chopra concluded by expressing that it is too early to judge Venkatesh Iyer from his three-match T20I career so far. He said,
“There were so many overs left, Venkatesh Iyer had got out in the previous over. He [Shreyas] is also not your finisher. Venkatesh Iyer has played, hit one or two sixes as well, but it is too soon to form an opinion on him being your long-term solution.”
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