"All are on the wrong side of 30" - Aakash Chopra wants changes to India's top 3 in T20Is
Aakash Chopra wants changes to India's top three for T20I cricket, considering the incumbents do not have age on their side.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, India's openers at the recently concluded T20 World Cup, scored their runs at a strike rate of 106.42 and 120.75, respectively, with both averaging close to 20. However, Virat Kohli finished as the top run-scorer of the tournament. His 296 runs came at a stunning average of 98.66 and an impressive strike rate of 136.40.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned whether India should persist with the trio as their top three, elaborating:
"Who should be India's two openers and No. 3 considering the next T20 World Cup is in 2024? So if you think from that angle, should it be Rohit, Rahul and Kohli? All are on the wrong side of thirty."
Chopra added that continuing with them will not help the Men in Blue have a youthful side at the next T20 World Cup. He stated:
"It is not that someone is 22 years old and will be 24. If you add two more years, you will find that your camp will become even more aged. It's not something that you actually like."
While Rohit and Kohli are 35 and 34 years old, respectively, Rahul turned 30 in April this year. While the Karnataka opener might have a few years of all-format cricket ahead of him, Rohit and Kohli might want to call it quits in the shortest format and concentrate on Tests and ODIs.
"The best team is so far ahead of us" - Aakash Chopra on India's strike rate in the powerplay overs
Chopra highlighted that India were way behind the other top teams in terms of their strike rate in the powerplay overs. He observed:
"Everyone had a question that why are you taking tension as the ball was swinging and it was difficult to bat. I mean it was as difficult for everyone else as us. Then why are we at No. 10? The best team is so far ahead of us. We are going at a strike rate of less than 100 and they are going at 130-135."
The former Indian opener pointed out that seamer-friendly conditions in Australia cannot be given as an excuse. He reasoned:
"Obviously, the conditions were the same for everyone but the response was different. We were playing the first over as a maiden. It was becoming almost a 19-over match and our numbers were extremely ordinary against the top teams."
Chopra concluded by opining that India need to tread a different path if they want better results, saying:
"I feel there should be a change. I feel if you want to go to a different place, you will have to change the direction, you will have to change the path. You will have to look at a different set of players because the T20 World Cup is two years away."
" These are big names. You're not talking about someone who's on the edge of the seat for a place in the side. You're talking about Rohit Sharma, who has got 3 ODI double hundreds, you're talking about K L Rahul, when you do see him bat. I think it's the fear. "
- Nasser Hussain https://t.co/bVqBZTN62a
Rohit, Kohli, and Rahul have been rested for the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. The two remaining games (first was washed out) will present a great opportunity for the youngsters to make a case for themselves by delivering at the top of the order.