IND vs ENG: "If Virat Kohli Comes, Who Will Go Out?" - Aakash Chopra On The Selection Dilemma For Team India Ahead Of 2nd T20I Vs England
Published - 09 Jul 2022, 02:14 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:10 AM
Aakash Chopra has noted that Team India faces a significant selection dilemma before the second Twenty20 International against England, which will be contested on Saturday, July 9 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
The first T20I at Southampton was easily won by the Indian side by a score of 50 runs. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah, who are all part of the Test team, have joined the squad for the final two games, thus the team management will need to figure out how to fit them into the starting XI.
Who Will Virat Kohli Replace?
Chopra questioned who of the batsmen may be dropped to play Virat Kohli at No. 3 in a video posted on his YouTube channel. He elaborated:
“Virat Kohli is back, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah are also available. Whom will you play and whom will you leave out in this match because no one did a bad job in the last match. You want to bring Kohli at No. 3 but if Kohli comes, who will go out?”
Iyer and Pant would also have a difficult time getting a spot, the former cricketer-turned-commentator continued. Chopra observed:
“Will you give a chance to Shreyas Iyer? Where will Rishabh Pant play if he gets a chance to play? Or will you take the easy route out, that let’s go with the team that was playing, let’s not worry about that it is necessary to play whoever has come in.”
Given that Suryakumar Yadav is making a comeback after a protracted injury layoff, it is believed that he will maintain his position in the middle order. Depending on whether he is forced to open or bat at his usual No. 3 spot, Virat Kohli is expected to replace either Ishan Kishan or Deepak Hooda in this situation.
Ishan Kishan May Not Be Left Out: Aakash Chopra
Kishan isn’t expected to be one of the hitters left out, according to Chopra. He reasoned:
“Ishan Kishan did not play well but you will not be able to play anyone instead of Ishan Kishan because openers are usually sacrosanct, once you play someone, you want to be with him. So you will probably not make a change there.”
The 44-year-old nearly completely disregarded Shreyas’ prospects of participating but emphasised that it would be difficult to find slots for Kohli and Pant. Chopra explained:
“So that means Virat Kohli at three, so where will Deepak Hooda bat, will he play or not? That is a big big question. I don’t see Shreyas Iyer playing although let’s be honest, he played very well against Sri Lanka. In place of whom will Rishabh Pant play? This is a really really tough one.”
Chopra, though, thinks finding a position for Jadeja and Bumrah is a little easier. The former Indian batter believes that the two should take the places of Axar Patel and Harshal Patel in the starting XI.
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Tagged:
Harshal Patel IND vs ENG 2022 Ishan Kishan Jasprit Bumrah Ravindra Jadeja Rishabh Pant Rohit Sharma Shreyas Iyer Suryakumar Yadav Virat Kohli VVS Laxman
