Former India player Aakash Chopra has urged Shubman Gill to follow his usual batting approach and not look to bat too aggressively in the Super Four clash against Pakistan. He added that Pakistan will face India in the second Super Four game of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. India had registered a comfortable seven-wicket win in the Group A game between the two sides at the same venue on September 14.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Abhishek Sharma has been playing well thus far. He is giving starts at a strike rate of 200 in every match. He has scored 30-odd runs in double quick speed and given everyone else a chance to breathe. However, Gill hasn’t fired. He remained not out on 20 in the first match for sure, but after that, he got out to Saim Ayub’s ball, and then got bowled.”
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“So that is one area that we need to address. Although it’s in our mind that Gill has come in place of Sanju and should do a job like Sanju, give an explosive start, but these are not those kinds of pitches. 200 runs won’t be scored here. So Gill, you have to do what you do probably better than everyone else. Just bat deep into the innings. After that, when you wish, after you have gotten set and have played seven to 10 overs, I don’t care even if you get out while trying to hit a six. However, you need to be there for this team to bat deeper, especially if Axar isn’t there and you have a slight lack of depth in batting. Then Gill’s role will increase even further,” Chopra shared again.
However, Aakash Chopra stated that Sanju Samson would have to move down the order despite scoring a 45-ball 56 at No. 3 in India’s last game against Oman.
“I feel they will not send Sanju Samson at No. 3 even now. He will be sent down the order only, although the evidence from the last match suggests that Sanju can play at No. 3 and Tilak Varma can play even at No. 7. However, they will have to flip it because this is against Pakistan. The showstopper of this match could be India’s bowling vs Pakistan’s batting. Pakistan’s batting has to stand up and get counted because they were stuck even against the UAE. You wouldn’t have reached where you reached had Shaheen Shah Afridi not hit those sixes,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
