Former India opener Aakash Chopra added that India must continue to open with youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Auckland. He also urged India to adopt a rotation policy going forward, keeping the 2028 T20 World Cup in mind. However, India beat New Zealand by six wickets in Wellington in the third T20I to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. Abhishek (113 off 38) and Suryavanshi (45 off 19) added 133 for the opening wicket in 7.1 overs.
Speaking to Cricinfo ahead of the fourth T20I in Auckland, Chopra said: “Well, Vaibhav opens. Abhishek Sharma continues to open. When World Cup is two years away, and there’s no imminent requirement to crystallize a team. These are a lot of T20s. Abhishek, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav, Ishan Kishan, just tell all of them the fact is that we have only three spaces. We’ll just keep rotating, irrespective of the form.”
“So I feel that you can’t bench Suryavanshi now. Now, it has to be a toss up between Ishan and Sanju. One of the two should play. I mean, they will have to play. Both can play, but one of the two is what I’m saying, that whoever plays keeps. So I don’t know what the right answer is, to be very honest,” he shared.
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However, Aakash Chopra doesn’t see Varun Chakravarthy finding a place in the playing XI in Auckland, and he also urged the Indian team management to avoid the temptation of resting Naman Dhir for the fourth T20I as well.
“I want him to play these two games, but a fast bowler will have to be benched. Even if these are dead rubbers, India is not going to compromise a batter at eight for an out-and-out bowler. Will a fast bowler go out, though? Because we are at the Eden Park. There are very short straight boundaries. We will have a decent amount of grass coverage on the surface. And there is a bit of help for the faster bowlers. So three fast bowlers, then it becomes a must. I don’t see him playing. He’s not played anything. Unless you are okay to compromise that number eight slot for the batter, Varun might still not play,” he shared.
“Criminal to think of benching Naman Dhir in the kind of form that he is in. He’s not being given to bowl. That’s a separate issue. But, he can bowl. He’s capable. As for Shivam Dube, it’s a mystery that he’s not finding a place in the playing 11 somehow. He was actually playing even ODI cricket in England a few months ago. Now he’s not able to find a place in the playing 11 in a T20 setup. Back-to-back T20 World Cup champion. That’s what he is. Performance in the finals as well. So again, if he plays, he plays for Nitish Kumar Reddy, not for Naman Dhir,” he concluded.
