Former India player Aakash Chopra said that Ravindra Jadeja is competing with Axar Patel for a place in India’s T20I side and he needs to contribute with the bat to retain his spot as well. The Indian team will take on South Africa in the final T20I of a three-match series in Johannesburg on Thursday. Jadeja smashed a 14-ball 19 and registered figures of 0/28 in 2.5 overs in the visitors’ five-wicket defeat via the DLS method in the second game as well.

Previewing the third T20I in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “I will want Rinku Singh to score runs once again. Jitesh (Sharma) and Ravindra Jadeja should score runs. Jaddu needs to score runs because there is going to be a toss-up between Jaddu and Axar Patel, and it’s not that Axar is too far behind because he (Jadeja) is the vice-captain.”

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The former India player added: “Vice-captain does not have any value these days because Shreyas Iyer was the vice-captain. Before that, Ajinkya Rahane was the vice-captain in Tests. The selectors straightaway drop players these days. I don’t know how they do that.”

Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra also wants Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill to be among the runs as well. He even urged Suryakumar Yadav to use Tilak Varma with the ball also if he plays.

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“The problem for the Indian team is that both openers were dismissed for ducks. I think (Ajinkya) Rahane and Rohit (Sharma) were the last such openers six or seven years ago. Here Yashasvi and Shubman were both dismissed for ducks, so you will expect runs from them,” Aakash Chopra concluded. “If Tilak Varma plays, will Shreyas Iyer be seen carrying drinks here as well? I have got no idea how they decide. If you are playing Tilak, get him to bowl. If you are saying that you are finally going to play a batter in the top six who can bowl, then get him to bowl for sure.”