"The guy is naturally destructive" - Aakash Chopra suggests Prithvi Shaw as India's T20I opener
Aakash Chopra reckons Prithvi Shaw should be one of the primary candidates to be India's T20I opener.
The Men in Blue are currently touring New Zealand for a white-ball series comprising three T20Is and as many ODIs. Although regular top-order batters like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are not part of the tour, Shaw didn't get a place in the squad.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked some of the opening options for India in the game's shortest format. Regarding Shaw, he said:
"The first option which comes to my mind is Prithvi Shaw. The guy is naturally destructive, he is disruptive. A lot of people turn back and say that he is not fit, I am saying check his numbers, he is the guy who just takes off."
The former Indian batter feels the Mumbai opener can get the Men in Blue off to blazing starts, which they sorely lacked at the 2022 T20 World Cup. He stated:
"If you want a rocket start, he is an absolute rocket, he simply flies. I am not saying he will fly in every match. Buttler, Hales or anyone else is also not seen flying in every match."
Chopra added that the selectors need to show little patience with the youngster and give him a consistent run of 6-10 months as his game is naturally suited to the format.
"Once in a while, he goes into a different scheme of things" - Aakash Chopra on Ishan Kishan
Chopra suggested Ishan Kishan as another option but pointed out that the youngster goes into his shell at times. He elaborated:
"At No. 2, I think about Ishan Kishan, a short left-handed destructive batter. Once in a while, he goes into a different scheme of things. When he was with the Mumbai Indians and there was some pressure on him, he started to take singles and play a new role."
The cricketer-turned-commentator feels the Mumbai Indians opener needs to be told that he needs to stick to his fearless brand of cricket. He said:
"If you want to invest in Ishan Kishan, you will have to tell him that he has to hit, he has to play his natural game, play the cut, pull, drive and sixes, he has to hit. He does not have to play cautiously."
Ishan Kishan
Prithvi Shaw
Sanju Samson
How does this top 3 look for India in T20?
#CricketTwitter
Chopra concluded by observing that both Shaw and Kishan also have the ability to play substantial knocks even while going at a fast pace. He added that the two diminutive openers have played a lot of first-class cricket as well, with Shaw having scored a century on his Test debut.