T20 World Cup 2022: "Might not get a chance to bat or bowl" - Aakash Chopra on Hardik Pandya's role against the Netherlands

Aakash Chopra believes that Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya might not play a major role for the Men in Blue in their T20 World Cup 2022 encounter against the Netherlands.

The former opening batter suggested that Pandya might not get an opportunity to bat or bowl in the clash. He predicted that India's top four batters would take the side to victory while chasing a total against the Netherlands.

As per Chopra's prophesy, not a lot of batters, including Pandya, will get a chance even if India bat first in the game. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said:

"It is possible that Hardik Pandya won't do anything against the Netherlands. He might play the game, but might not get a chance to bat or bowl.

"If India bat first, then maybe a few batters will get to bat a bit. If they are chasing, they the top three or four batters will do the job."

Pandya was one of India's top performers against Pakistan, contributing significantly with both bat and ball. The talismanic all-rounder bagged three scalps in the contest.

Pandya also chipped in with a vital 40-run knock during the run chase, helping his side clinch a thrilling four-wicket win.

Chopra opined that India would avoid making any changes to their playing XI. He mentioned that openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are expected to fire against the Netherlands, doing a lot of damage upfront and leaving very little to do for the remaining batters.

He added:

"I don't expect Team India to make any changes. In a World Cup, all batters get a chance to bat when the match is against South Africa or Pakistan. However, in a game like this, the openers hog all the limelight.

"I feel both KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma will counter attack at the top and will also succeed in doing so. They will score a lot of runs and batters after Virat Kohli might not get to bat much."

While both Rahul and Sharma managed to score just four runs each against Pakistan, they have a significant chance of getting some runs under their belt against the Netherlands. An impactful performance here could do wonders for their confidence going ahead in the T20 World Cup.

"The Netherlands might struggle against the Indian spinners" - Aakash Chopra backs Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel to do well

Chopra went on to say that spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel could trouble the Netherlands batters.

The 45-year-old stated that both Ashwin and Axar have a chance of picking up a lot of wickets in the upcoming fixture, given that it will be a used wicket. He added:

"Both Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin will play a major role. They have a chance of picking up a lot of wickets, given that the match will be played on a used surface. The ground is also a big one and the Netherlands might struggle against the Indian spinners."

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India and the Netherlands are set to lock horns in the 23rd match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022. The game will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday, October 27, from 12.30 pm (IST).