T20 World Cup 2021: Manoj Tiwary Suggests Two Changes In The Indian Playing XI For New Zealand Clash

Indian batsman Manoj Tiwary recommended a couple of changes in the Indian team ahead of their crucial Group 2 tie against New Zealand in the Super 12 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Both sides lost their first match against Pakistan and desperately need a win to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. It is virtually a do-or-die match, and team India needs to find its best combination ahead of the game, as per Tiwary.

“Jadeja should be promoted to the fourth spot. Rishabh can follow him with the last few overs remaining because that suits his game. If the team management decides to bring Ishan Kishan in, then Surya misses out.”

“But we’ve seen that Ishan has done better while opening the batting, so he is unlikely to get a chance in the middle order. Surya has a wide range of shots in his armory, so he’ll come in handy at the fag end of an innings,” Tiwary said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.

It would be unfair to drop Hardik Pandya after just one game – Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary also pointed out that the team needs to find a suitable slot in the batting order for Hardik Pandya. At the moment, Hardik comes in at No.6 ahead of Jadeja, but that leaves very few balls in the end for the destructive all-rounder duo.

“If they want to persist with Hardik Pandya, they have to find the ideal slot for him. The think-tank believes that he is better than the batters who are sitting out. For him to return to form, it’s imperative that he gets adequate time in the middle. It would be unfair to drop him after just one game,” Tiwary added.

Tiwary further recommended bringing in Shardul Thakur in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the former has a knack for picking up wickets at a crucial time and is more than handy with the ball as well.

“Regarding the bowling unit, I think Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy will play. Besides, Shardul Thakur can replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar, given his recent form. Shardul has an amazing knack for taking early wickets and is also a better batter than Bhuvneshwar,” Tiwary mentioned.

India will square off against New Zealand on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Also Read – IND vs NZ: India’s Predicted Playing XI Against New Zealand – ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Match 28