Aakash Chopra, former opener and commentator of the Indian Test team, believes that Hardik Pandya’s batting order should not be fixed in T20 cricket. He has also given reasoning behind this. Aakash Chopra has also given his opinion about who should be chosen as the first choice wicketkeeper between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant. Before the first match of the 5 T20 match series between India and South Africa, he also discussed on his YouTube channel which young fast bowlers should be selected in the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia.
Akash Chopra was asked by a user whether Hardik Pandya should be sent to bat at number four or as a finisher in the lower order? In response to the question, Aakash Chopra said, ‘I don’t think he has a choice. His is simple, when the captain of the team is at number four, when the captain of the team is not there then the number where the captain will send is the same number.
He said, ‘Here I do not think that his batting at number 4 is going to come. To be honest, Hardik’s number should not be fixed. Whenever a wicket falls after the 11th over, they should be sent. Even if it is the second number. His form at this time is even better than Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant. In such a situation, they should get some time.
On the question of who is the first choice wicketkeeper between Pant and Karthik, Akash said, ‘Definitely Rishabh Pant. It is true that you should give importance to IPL, but Rishabh Pant is such a player who can change the match. It is not that Dinesh Karthik cannot change, but Rishabh Pant has been doing this work very well for the last three seasons.
He said, ‘His current IPL season has been very ordinary, but since he started playing IPL, he is still included in the five highest run-scorers if we go by the statistics. I think Rishabh Pant is definitely the first choice wicketkeeper.
On the talk of young fast bowlers in the T20 World Cup, Aakash Chopra said, ‘Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are already two names fixed. According to me, Deepak Chahar should be at number three. After that the name of the famous Krishna comes to my mind. Umran Malik is not in my team right now.