Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned Indian team management for not giving chances to Shivam Dube, Venkatesh Iyer and Vijay Shankar to find Hardik Pandya’s backup, highlighting that the IPL will no longer help them do that job as well. However, Hardik is currently out of action due to an ankle injury sustained in India’s ODI World Cup clash against Bangladesh. While Dube wasn’t given a chance in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against Australia despite being in the squad, no other player in mentioned above has been picked for the South Africa tour as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopta said: “What you are saying is absolutely correct. How will it work out if your only aim in bilateral series is to win? It won’t work out as you are not trying anyone. In fact, it was my problem in this series (vs Australia), you didn’t have a single bowler in the top six and a batter at No. 8. What is the logic behind this and we are talking about a scenario when Rohit (Sharma), (Virat) Kohli, Shubman (Gill) and KL Rahul are not there. It is a problem in my opinion because IPL will not do this job now.”

Team India used only specialist bowlers in the T20I series against Australia as well. While Dube wasn’t picked in the XI, Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal weren’t tried with the ball as well. Aakash Chopra stated that the Impact Player rule implies that the likes of Shivam Dube, Venkatesh Iyer and Vijay Shankar won’t get to bowl in the IPL as well.

“IPL could have done this job earlier. It’s not going to do it now. Let’s make peace with it that once the Impact Player rule has come, why will Shivam Dube, Venkatesh Iyer and Vijay Shankar get to bowl when you can play six bowlers?,” Aakash Chopra concluded. “So that’s not going to happen, whether you like it or hate it. You should consistently keep doing it in bilateral series but you haven’t done that. It’s a trick missed. I am with you on this one.”