Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has opined that Sanju Samson and his fans cannot complain that he is being made to bat in any position and that he needs to grab his opportunities whenever comes. Samson scored a run-a-ball seven as India failed to win in the second T20I in Guyana on Sunday, August 6. The hosts chased down the target with two wickets and seven balls to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series as well.

While reviewing the match in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Sanju Samson played a bad shot. Shubman Gill at the start and Sanju Samson in the middle played bad shots. Sanju Samson and his fans can say that he is getting to bat at the wrong number. But is there a place available at the top? If it’s not there, what can be done?”
The former Indian opener added:

He continued: “So you have two options – either you play or you don’t. Try to score runs if you play at those positions or else they won’t play you. 10 overs were left, so you had a chance. If you don’t make the most of your chances, you will regret it later. It may sound unfair, but if a place is not there, how can a place be created?”

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However, Sanju Samson was sent to bat at No. 5, before Hardik Pandya, in Sunday’s game but couldn’t utilise the chance. And, Aakash Chopra feels India’s poor powerplay batting has become a concern as well. He also opined that the visitors even lost their most accomplished T20 batter, Suryakumar Yadav, through a run-out within the powerplay as well. While Shubman Gill and Suryakumar scored eight runs in the 12 deliveries between them, Ishan Kishan scored a 23-ball 27 as well.

He said: “The first six overs have become another source of concern as we don’t score runs at all. Shubman Gill got out here, tried to play two or three big shots, hit a six, and then got out. Ishan Kishan tried a lot but was going at a run-a-ball only. Then he also got out. Suryakumar Yadav got run out. Suryakumar Yadav should have said ‘no’ but he ran when Ishan Kishan said ‘yes’. You needed to say ‘no’ there. Things would have been different if he had said ‘no’. It was a direct hit and he got out.”

Aakash Chopra also questioned Hardik Pandya for not using Axar Patel with the ball at all. However, India played with three spinners and two seamers in the second T20I as well.

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He said: “Axar Patel wasn’t given a single over. My question is that if Axar Patel is not going to bowl because you have a left-hander in front of him, then Kyle Mayers comes at the start, then comes Nicholas Pooran, then Shimron Hetmyer and Akeal Hosein in the end, then he will not bowl a single over. Why are you playing him if he is not going to bowl? You didn’t use the sixth bowler at all. A left-armer can bowl against a left-hander. Akeal Hosein showed that by doing it against Tilak Varma and dismissed him as well, but we didn’t get Axar to bowl.”

“We gave Axar only two overs in the last match as well and not a single over in this match. He was given two overs in ODIs. Axar Patel is not playing as a batter. There were errors of course,” Aakash Chopra again said. “Hardik Pandya did pick up three wickets for sure, they were important. He picked up two wickets in the first over itself – very, very important. Then Rovman Powell was batting very well. You dismissed him as well. You did your job but Axar not bowling a single over – it cannot be digested slightly.”