IRE vs IND: Ashish Nehra Explains Why Deepak Hooda Is Preferred Over Sanju Samson In The First T20I

Ashish Nehra, a former fast-bowler, has explained why Deepak Hooda was chosen over Sanju Samson.

India made three changes from the previous game, with Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, and Umran Malik replacing Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Harshal Patel.

India is preparing for the two-match series against Ireland at The Village in Dublin. Star all-arounder Hardik Pandya made his international debut as India’s captain during this series. He also chose to bat first in the first game after winning the toss.

From the lineup that faced South Africa in Bengaluru on June 19, the Indian team made several adjustments. India’s eleven includes players like Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda in place of the unavailability Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, and Umran Malik, a rising pace sensation, made his debut in place of Harshal Patel. However, the fans were unhappy with the changes that were made to the Indian team and questioned why Sanju Samson and Harshal Patel were not in the starting lineup.

‘Deepak Hooda was already in the squad’: Ashish Nehra

Former fast-bowler Ashish Nehra outlined Hooda’s advantages over Samson in a pre-game show for Sony Liv.
“No, that is not at all a difficult decision. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant have been replaced by Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi. Even Venkatesh Iyer did not participate in the match against South Africa since Deepak Hooda was already on the squad” Ashish Nehra said.

“Speaking of Deepak Hooda, he played for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, where he scored runs throughout the entire season. He also performed admirably in the IPL. He began the competition playing at positions 5 or 6 (for LSG), was then moved up to position 3, and played well there as well. He must therefore be very confident” Ashish Nehra Added.

Deepak Hooda participated in all three of India’s T20I victories against Sri Lanka earlier this year, making his T20I debut for India against Sri Lanka. The 27-year-old had just one opportunity to bat in that series against the Dasun Shanaka-led team, and he took advantage of it by scoring 21 runs off just 16 balls.

Also Read: IRE vs IND: Hardik Pandya Becomes First Indian Captain To Pick A Wicket In T20 Internationals