T20 World Cup 2022: "You didn't figure out who is right and who is wrong" - Aakash Chopra on the flip-flop between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik
Aakash Chopra has criticized the Indian team management for failing to choose between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik as their preferred wicketkeeper-batter ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022.
The Men in Blue were knocked out of the global T20 tournament after suffering a crushing 10-wicket defeat against England in the semi-final clash in Adelaide on Thursday, November 10. Pant, who played ahead of Karthik in the crunch game, got to bat only in the 19th over and scored six runs from the four deliveries he faced.
While reflecting on India's loss in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was flummoxed by the flip-flop between Karthik and Pant during the tournament. He said:
"Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik - you didn't figure out who is right and who is wrong. You should have known in the Asia Cup who is going to play. If not there, then in the bilateral series after that. If not there, then you came 18 days early and played some friendly matches as well."
The former Indian opener added that the team management did not show confidence in Pant's batting abilities despite picking him ahead of Karthik for the semi-final. He explained:
"You played Rishabh Pant in the last match, thinking he will demolish the leg-spinner. He will do that only if he goes to bat. You play him but didn't have the confidence to play him at No. 4, that you can send Surya down, or send him in place of Hardik at No. 5."
Chopra pointed out that the England leg-spinners - Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone - got away by conceding just 41 runs in seven overs. He highlighted that there is no point in having an X-factor if he is not sent to bat until the penultimate over of the innings.
"There was so much commotion when you didn't play him in the last World Cup" - Aakash Chopra questions Yuzvendra Chahal's omission
Chopra also questioned Yuzvendra Chahal's omission from the playing XI. He elaborated:
"After that, you sent Ashwin. You still did not send Axar. If you are not getting Axar to bat and keeping him at No. 8, then play Yuzi Chahal. There was so much commotion when you didn't play him in the last World Cup. Here he was selected but you still did not play him."
Chopra highlighted that the leg-spinner was not played despite other bowlers of his ilk enjoying great success in the tournament. The renowned commentator stated:
"Every team has a leg-spinner. From the opposition team, Liam Livingstone gives 21 runs in three overs and we don't play a leg-spinner at all. Whether you see Shadab, Rashid, Wanindu Hasaranga, Zampa - all leg-spinners did well. Your leg-spinner was only sitting on the bench. Wrong selection call."
We are all more intelligent in hindsight. But it was so evident that wrist spinners will do very well in Adelaide. And India were not great in their selection and ignoring Chahal turnned out to be a very vital factor . England deserved winners #INDvsENG
Chahal is India's second-highest wicket-taker in the game's shortest format with 85 scalps to his name. The wily spinner was excluded from India's squad for last year's T20 World Cup, with Rahul Chahar preferred ahead of him, and did not get to play a single game in the current edition despite being in the squad.