"Don't see Surya, Shreyas or Venkatesh compromising their top order slots"- Aakash Chopra ahead of IPL 2022
Former Indian opener and cricket expert Aakash Chopra gave his opinion on whether Indian players should bat at the same number for their IPL franchise as they do for their country.
The likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer often bat at No.3 for their respective frfranchises.However, their role changes when they play for Team India as they are seen as a fit for the lower middle-order.
Even someone like Venkatesh Iyer, who tasted tremendous success with KKR while opening the batting, has been given the role of finishing the innings at No.6 for India. Aakash Chopra believes these players will continue to bat higher up the order for their IPL teams as they want to score big consistently.
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Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, here's what Chopra had to say:
"Venkatesh Iyer bats as an opener for KKR but plays down the order for India. For his stateside, the BCCI can make him bat down the order, but in the IPL, the franchises are private and they splash the cash for a particular role. Even Hardik Pandya will bat at No.4 for his IPL team."
Aakash Chopra feels scoring more runs will make the case stronger for such players in the Indian team, no matter which position they bat at. He added:
"Ultimately, runs are counted and that Venkatesh Iyer has shown us. I don't see Surya, Shreyas or Venkatesh compromising their top order slots."
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Wasim Jaffer echoes Aakash Chopra's opinion on batting positions of Indian stars in the IPL
Another former Indian opener and cricket expert, Wasim Jaffer, echoed Aakash Chopra's opinion on players' batting positions for their respective franchises. Jaffer opined that if the players show the required intent, it doesn't matter what position they are batting at. He stated:
"I don't think the franchises will agree (to let players bat lower down as the role is for India). Iyer even said that day that he likes to bat at No.3. I think more than where you bat, it's important how you bat. So if he is batting at No.3 and scoring runs, I think the selectors and the management will be happy."
India have a pleasant headache with a number of players making strong cases to cement their place in the middle-order. With the T20 World Cup later this year, the IPL 2022 season could prove to be a vital one for stars like Suryakumar and Shreyas.