"Rohit Sharma likes Jaddu as well" - Aakash Chopra on India's probable XI for 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final vs England
Aakash Chopra doesn't expect India to make any changes to their playing XI for their 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final clash against England in Guyana on Thursday, June 27. He reckons Rohit Sharma will stick with the underperforming Ravindra Jadeja because of his fondness for him due to the balance he provides to the side.
The Men in Blue have fielded only 12 players in the ongoing T20 World Cup thus far. While Mohammed Siraj played all games in the preliminary group stage in New York, Kuldeep Yadav replaced him for the Super 8 matches in the West Indies.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Yuzvendra Chahal could be a tempting spin-bowling option but opined that India will likely persist with Jadeja.
"I am saying no change in the Indian team. I feel Rohit Sharma is going to do that only. He is not going to make any change although it will come to his mind for sure that Jaddu hasn't done anything. He hasn't scored runs and hasn't picked up wickets. He has taken only one wicket thus far and bowled just one over in the last match and conceded 17 runs in that," he said (7:45).
"Since Yuzi Chahal is sitting outside, it comes to your mind whether he should be played but I think that won't happen because the Indian team will still stick with Ravindra Jadeja. Rohit Sharma likes Jaddu as well, his playing style and the balance that he brings to the table, and Rohit Sharma is going to back him because of that," the former India opener added.
Jadeja has picked up a solitary wicket at an average of 78.00 in 10 overs in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The spin-bowling all-rounder has aggregated only 16 runs in three innings and even dropped a relatively easy catch in the last Super 8 game against Australia.
"We have a different level of protection in bowling" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra noted that the presence of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel gives India a formidable bowling attack.
"Our bowlers give us a safety net. We have a different level of protection in bowling - Jasprit Bumrah's four overs, Kuldeep Yadav's four overs, and I am saying Axar Patel's four overs on this pitch. That gives you 12 overs and after that, Arshdeep, and I am thinking Ravindra Jadeja will eventually pick up wickets," he said (3:35).
The reputed commentator expects Ravindra Jadeja to be among the wickets and Arshdeep Singh to be more economical against England.
"It cannot happen that he doesn't pick up wickets and Arshdeep cannot be expensive every time. He is picking up wickets and I am assuming that wickets should come in Arshdeep's account. So we are protected. We are actually a very good team," Chopra observed.
Arshdeep (15) is India's highest wicket-taker in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Bumrah (11) is the other bowler to have picked up more than 10 wickets, with Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep accounting for eight and seven dismissals respectively.