Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has opined on the importance of the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe for Ravi Bishnoi. He added that the wrist spinner was heavily criticized after giving a lot of runs in his last T20I. India will take on Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series, with the first game to be played in Harare on Thursday, July 23. However, Bishnoi and Harsh Dubey are the two frontline spinners in the 15-member Indian squad now.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “The obsession we have had for spin-bowling all-rounders won’t be there in this series because Washington Sundar and Axar Patel aren’t there. So you don’t really have much. You have to play one of Ravi Bishnoi or Harsh Dubey. You might play both. You will play them because they are actually proper bowlers. They can take wickets for you.”

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“This could be a slight redemption for Ravi Bishnoi because the last time he played for India, he bowled no-balls and conceded 29 runs in an over. India lost the match to England, and he was criticized a lot after that. So this could be a very important series for him. Harsh Dubey is getting chances because Washi gets injured so much. So, if Axar Patel isn’t there at any time, at least Harsh Dubey. So you are starting to look for more options in the bowling department,” he added.

However, Aakash Chopra also added that India have picked two express seamers in Ashok Sharma and Mayank Yadav for the T20I series against Zimbabwe as well.

“India have done a new thing for this series. We are unleashing pace. We have picked Ashok Sharma and Mayank Yadav. We are not going for medium pace now, although the ball moves a little in Zimbabwe, and that’s why this team (Zimbabwe) does well. It is a very decent bowling surface. So you go with seam at times, but we have picked pace here. We have picked an out-and-out pace battery,” he said.

“One of the two might play, or both might play. Yash Thakur is also a part of this team. In fact, that’s the change that we have done. Batting is identical. The bowling is extremely young. So who among the young fast bowlers get opportunities and how they fare will be worth watching. We might actually go for Ashok and Mayank, pace from both ends, speeds of 150 kph. We can also try that,” Aakash Chopra concluded.