Asia Cup 2022: "Can Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also open?" - Aakash Chopra on the 'million-dollar question' for Team India
Aakash Chopra reckons the upcoming Asia Cup will provide an answer to the opening batting conundrum faced by Team India.
The Asia Cup 2022 will be played in the UAE from August 27 to September 11. The Men in Blue have been drawn alongside arch-rivals Pakistan and a qualifier for the group stage of the tournament.
While previewing the tournament in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted the biggest question before Team India, elaborating:
"Who will be the openers, that's the million-dollar question. KL Rahul will of course become available now. So is KL Rahul going to open or will Suryakumar open or will Ishan Kishan get a chance? Can Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also open?"
Chopra feels the squad that will be picked for the Asia Cup is more or less likely to travel to Australia for the T20 World Cup later this year. The cricketer-turned-commentator said:
"You will get the answer to the biggest question in this tournament because all of us believe that the team that will play now will be the one that will be almost ready for the World Cup, subject to fitness. If there is any injury, there could be change, else the 15 who will be selected here are also going to Australia for the World Cup."
Why do I have this bad feeling that Ind will do all the jumbling around with the XI and end up opening with Rohit & Virat in the WT20?
Virat Kohli last opened for Team India in the final T20I of the home series against England last year. Considering the plethora of opening batter options at their disposal, it would certainly be a tough call for the team management and the selectors to make the final choice.
"What will happen to the spinners?" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Team India is also spoilt for choice in the spin-bowling department. He explained:
"One more question in my mind is - What will happen to the spinners? Yuzi Chahal is the No. 1 spinner and Ravindra Jadeja is the No. 2 spinner. You might need a third spinner in these conditions, so will it be Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, or if there is a dark horse in Washington Sundar?"
Chopra concluded by questioning whether Mohammad Shami is in India's scheme of things as one of the pacers in T20I cricket. The former Indian batter observed:
"Who will be the fast bowlers because Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are certain. Is Harshal Patel almost confirmed as the third or will Mohammad Shami come? Where is Mohammad Shami? Shami's performance was very good in the IPL. You are not playing him the T20s now but is that the call on his future?"
Shami has played just 17 T20Is for India to date, including the five matches he played at the T20 World Cup last year. With the experienced pacer not getting a game for the Men in Blue post that tournament, it seems the Indian selectors are looking beyond him for the shortest format of the game.