IND vs NZ: "You Have Selected Sanju Samson, But Where Will You Play Him..." - Former Indian Cricketer Aakash Chopra Questions Team Management

India will take on New Zealand in a three-match T20I series, with the first match scheduled to be played on Friday, November 18. Former Indian cricketer Akash Chopra feels that Sanju Samson has earned a place in the Indian team but has not been able to find a place in the playing XI.

The Men in Blue will be touring New Zealand for a white-ball series comprising three T20Is and three ODIs between November 18 and 30. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to lead India in the absence of senior players like KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma in the shorter format, while Shikhar Dhawan would captain in ODIs.

Where Will You Play Him Sanju Samson? – Aakash Chopra

Former India opener Akash Chopra commented on his YouTube channel that wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson will not get a chance in the middle order.

“You have selected Sanju Samson, but where will you play him, because if Shreyas Iyer doesn’t play at No. 3, Suryakumar Yadav doesn’t play at No. 4 and Hardik doesn’t play at No. 5, where will they play?,”said Aakash Chopra.

“Suryakumar Yadav should not go below No. 4, Iyer should not go below No. 3 or No. 4 and Hardik shouldn’t go below No. 5. The earliest place available for Sanju Samson is No. 6 but he might not be useful there. You can play Deepak Hooda there, although most of Hooda’s runs have also come at the top of the order,” he added.

Sanju Samson represented Team India in the 16 T20Is and scored 296 runs at a strike rate of 135.15. He last played for India against the West Indies in August, where he scored an undefeated 30 and 15 runs at No. 5 and No. 4, respectively, in the two games he played.

Akash Chopra questioned the selection of Shubman Gill in the T20I squad and stated that Prithvi Shaw should have been selected as well. He said, “Is Shubman Gill your all-three format player or a T20 specialist? If he is not a T20 specialist and you want to write a new story, then Prithvi Shaw should have probably been there.” 

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