The First Thing India Need To Decide, Whether KL Rahul Is An Opener Or A Middle-Order Batsman – Ajit Agarkar

Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar has said that the Indian management needs to decide whether white-ball vice-captain KL Rahul will play as an opener or a middle-order batsman in the upcoming series.

India will lock horns with West Indies in the 6-match limited-overs series, which will commence on February 6, and all the ODI games of the series will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and T20Is will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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Meanwhile, Ajit Agarkar has said that he was disappointed to see KL Rahul open the innings during the South Africa tour because the white-ball vice-captain has been a very successful middle-order batsman.

“I think that’s the first thing they need to decide, whether he is an opener or a middle-order batsman because he was the captain in South Africa and he opened, which to me it was a bit disappointing because he’s been so successful at number 4 or 5 and that’s the role that they were looking at,” said Agarkar on Star Sports Show Game Plan ahead of the India-West Indies ODI series,

“If that is not going to be the case then again you have got to stick to what you decide if you are going to be an opener then you may as well open the innings with Rohit in the series.”

“So, that will be interesting to see because Shikhar Dhawan is there as well, I am not sure in a year or year and a half’s time where Shikhar Dhawan would be, even though he has got runs in South Africa,” he added.

Former India pacer added that India have got explosive players like Ishan Kishan, who could open the innings and he was unsure whether Rahul opening the innings will work in future.

“You have got a couple of explosive players like Ishan Kishan or even someone like Rishabh Pant. Who knows whether it will work giving him a chance for the top of the order,” said Agarkar.

They have got Kuldeep Yadav back for a simple reason, that is they are not picking up wickets in the middle overs – Aakash Chopra

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra, while talking about the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series, said that the selectors have picked him in the squad due to the failure of the Indian team to pick wickets in the middle-overs.

“They should be otherwise they wouldn’t have picked Kuldeep Yadav, he was on hold for the last, not last 6 months he’s been in hold forever since that Birmingham game, where he’s got turned around and then he never got an opportunity,” said Aakash Chopra.

“They have got him back for a simple reason, that is they are not picking up wickets in the middle overs. ”

Aakash Chopra further talked about the inclusion of spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar in the Indian squad for the West Indies series.

“Ashwin whether he was available or not, I would’ve anyway gone with Kuldeep Yadav but we also picked Ravi Bishnoi.

“We picked him for both ODI and T20 and since they don’t want to try him then there is Washington Sundar as well and Jadeja and Axar Patel are actually waiting in the wing. So, once you pick so many bowlers then your hands are tied pretty much, who do you go with?” he added.

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