IND vs AFG: Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma? Aakash Chopra Picks His Wicketkeeper Batter For 3rd T20I

Aakash Chopra believes that the team management should continue backing Jitesh Sharma in the third and final T20I against Afghanistan. Aakash Chopra said that Jitesh Sharma should remain in the playing XI if he has secured a place in the T20 World Cup squad.

The Men in Blue selected Jitesh Sharma as the wicketkeeper-batter for the first two matches in the ongoing T20I series. The Vidarbha batter scored 31 runs off 20 deliveries in the series opener. However, he registered a duck in the second match of the series in Indore.

Sanju Samson was omitted from the series against Australia and South Africa. The Kerala batter received a call-up for the Afghanistan series following his maiden ODI century in South Africa. He scored 40 runs off 26 balls in his last T20I outing in August last year.

Jitesh Sharma Is Not Confirmed Yet – Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra stated that Sanju Samson should not replace Jitesh in India’s playing XI. Chopra emphasized that Sanju should not be judged based on a single match and should be given at least three chances.

“The question is whether you should keep Jitesh or Sanju at No. 6. If Jitesh had cemented his place totally, if there hadn’t been a question mark at all in front of Jitesh’s name, that he is definitely going to the World Cup, you could have thought about Sanju. However, Jitesh is not confirmed yet,” Chopra said.

“There is a flip side to that as well. Assuming you play Sanju, will you judge him with one match? It’s incorrect. Whoever you try, give him three chances at least. This is what has happened with Sanju throughout his career,” he added.

Jitesh has scored 100 runs in seven T20I innings at an average of 14.28 and an impressive strike rate of 147.05, with the highest score of 35. On the other hand, Sanju has scored 374 runs in 21 innings with an average of 19.68 and a strike rate of 133.57, including one fifty.

Can Tilak Varma Be Played Here? – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra picked Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Virat Kohli for the top three positions in the batting lineup. He praised Shivam Dube as the standout performer, stating that he would bat at number 4.

“Rohit hasn’t scored any runs, so he has to play. Virat Kohli has played just one match, so he has to play. Yashasvi has also played just one match, so he too has to play,” Chopra further stated.

“Shivam Dube has been the find of the series so far, so he will play at No. 4 for sure. So can Tilak Varma be played here? In place of whom, because Rinku Singh gets limited opportunities, in terms of, not the games, but the amount he gets to bat. So he also needs to play,” he concluded.

Tilak Varma got an opportunity in the playing XI during the first match in the absence of Virat Kohli. The left-handed batter scored 26 runs off 22 deliveries, including two boundaries and a six. However, Tilak was replaced by Virat in the recent match.

Also read: Jitesh Sharma To Make Way For KL Rahul In T20 World Cup 2024? Aakash Chopra’s Shocking Revelation