"Play the first few balls a bit more cautiously" - Aakash Chopra's suggestion to Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul for T20 World Cup 2022
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's opening stand will be crucial for Team India during the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022.
Chopra pointed out how both Sharma and Rahul tend to score runs at a brisk pace in the powerplay overs. He suggested that the two senior batters could afford to see off their first few deliveries since they can compensate later on.
The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that if the openers perform well, the Men in Blue will be able to register an imposing total.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said:
"It's now time to deliver. We have all been saying that these two have a fantastic average and have a lot of class. The day they fire together, India would go on to score over 200 runs.
"They can score 50 runs from the first six overs without breaking a sweat. That's why I'd say that it's still fine if they play the first few balls a bit more cautiously."
India's preparations have commenced in full flow in Australia for the showpiece event. Following their second practice match against Western Australia, they will take on Australia and New Zealand in their warmup fixtures on October 17 and 19, respectively.
The Rohit Sharma-led side will battle it out against arch-rivals Pakistan in their first match of the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23.
"Yuzvendra Chahal has been blowing hot and cold" - Aakash Chopra on the Indian spinner's recent performances
Chopra further went on to say that while Yuzvendra Chahal has been inconsistent lately, he can thrive in Australian conditions. He emphasized that the fast wickets and big grounds will aid the leg spinner.
The former cricketer believes that if Chahal fails to provide crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs, things could get tricky for India, given their death bowling woes.
On this, he said:
"Yuzvendra Chahal has been blowing hot and cold. However, the grounds in Australia will help him. The grounds will be big, and there will be some extra pace on offer. He will be able to vary his speed there, and could be a wicket-taker.
"If he is able to produce wickets during the middle overs, (then good), otherwise, it will get difficult towards the backend of the innings."
Chahal struggled for form in the three-match T20I series against Australia last month, managing just two wickets from three games. Furthermore, he had an underwhelming economy rate of 9.12 to his name.
He didn't feature in a single match in the team's ensuing home T20I series against South Africa. However, he is expected to be India's lead spinner at the showpiece event, considering his impressive record in the format.