Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra questioned the non-selection of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya in Team India for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand. The veteran believes that India’s experienced all-rounder didn’t need a rest as he doesn’t play Test cricket and he didn’t even bowl in the IPL 2021 as well.
However, on Tuesday (November 9), BCCI has named a 16-member Indian team for the three-match T20I series between India and New Zealand, beginning from November 17. Rohit Sharma has been named captain after Kohli, who has quit the captaincy of Team India in the T20 format of the game as well. Moreover, the players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Ravindra Jadeja have been given the rest as well.
However, along with them, Hardik Pandya has also not ben added to the squad. And, unlike others, he has been dropped from the Indian T20I squad as well. While speaking regarding about this, Aakash Chopra stated that it raises a lot of questions. He believes Hardik, who missed a lot of cricket due to his back injury, didn’t need any rest now.
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“It was fair to give Kohli, Shami, Jadeja and Bumrah a rest but what about Hardik Pandya? Did he need that rest? Or is he axed? He doesn’t play Test cricket, didn’t bowl in the IPL as well and, in the T20 World Cup, he didn’t do anything in the last two games,” Aakash Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Chopra also claimed that the selectors have named too many openers with the likes of the captain Rohit Sharma and deputy KL Rahul alongside Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer as well. He even shared the importance of giving a player to play in his preferred slot. He said that playing an opener in the No.5 slot would not benefit anyone – neither the individual nor the team as well.
Aakash Chopra said: “There are too many openers in the squad. There is a fundamental flaw in our system and I’m going to highlight this. In the future, the team should, especially in T20s, pick players for the available slots and where the respective players have scored runs. Considering the IPL performance is a good thing, but if you’re saying the highest run-scoring opener to play at No.5 for India, he cannot perform equally well. There are 5 openers in the squad for the 3-match series. Moreover, Rahul and Rohit will certainly play unless the team wins the first two matches and then allows them to rest for the dead-rubber.”
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Meanwhile, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer have been added for their stunning performances in the IPL 2021. He praised Iyer as he came in the squad on the back of just seven IPL matches as well. The three-match T20I series will start on November 17 in Jaipur, before moving to Ranchi for the second T20I whereas the third and final T20I will take place in Kolkata.
“Siraj, Ruturaj, Avesh and Harshal are the four brilliant picks in the squad. I am left with one question and that is over Venkatesh Iyer. He’s been phenomenal and there’s no doubt about it. But Chetan Sakariya was also brilliant 6 months back when you selected him for the Sri Lanka tour. And now after 6 months, he’s not in your scheme of things. So that discontinuity and inconsistency in selection leaves me confused and flummoxed. And Venky Iyer, as good as he is, has played just 7 games in the IPL that too as an opener. And there are already 4 openers,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
