Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has expressed his opinion on Hardik Pandya’s approach during the third T20I against West Indies in Guyana on August 8. Chopra believes that Pandya should have allowed young batsman Tilak Varma to complete his half-century in the match.

Despite the win, Aakash Chopra suggests that Pandya’s decision to finish the game with a six and leave Varma stranded on 49 was an unnecessary move. The third T20I was pivotal for India as they were trailing 0-2 in the five-match series. West Indies set a target of 160 runs.

Suryakumar Yadav’s splendid performance and Varma’s steady knock set the stage for an easy Indian victory, with Pandya ultimately sealing the win. However, Pandya’s decision to hit a six on the last ball irked some fans who believed he should have given Varma the opportunity to reach his half-century.

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Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on his official YouTube channel, saying, “Hardik comes to bat, tells him it’s important to remain not out, don’t get carried away. Then Hardik hits aggressive hits… you don’t need NRR, it would’ve made no difference. He told Tilak to go easy, but tried to hit big shots himself. You needed 2 runs off 13 balls, and he smashed a six.”

He further added, “I’m sure they want to build a culture that doesn’t care about individual milestones. But even a not out doesn’t really matter here, even if you were out there, you still had 12 balls there to score 2 runs. Tilak was denied a chance to score a fifty. That’s just my opinion, though.”

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Despite Pandya’s approach, India secured a victory, with Tilak Varma contributing significantly with his unbeaten 49 off 37 balls. This gesture of allowing youngsters to flourish and respecting their milestones is considered essential for the development of cricket as a team sport.