Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has shared his thoughts on India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against West Indies. The squad, announced on July 5, featured some interesting inclusions and exclusions.
The omission of Rinku Singh generated a lot of discussion after the squad was announced. The selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar included youngsters like Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal for the series. Meanwhile, players like Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad were overlooked, and Sanju Samson made a comeback to the T20I squad.
The Indian bowling lineup drew significant attention, with Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan forming the pace attack. With the exception of Arshdeep Singh, the inclusion of the other three bowlers raises questions as they have not had extensive cricketing experience.
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In a recent YouTube video, Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on the team selection and specifically focused on the seam attack. He expressed concerns about the overall strength of the bowling unit, apart from Arshdeep Singh.
“The fast bowling unit appears to be light. Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar are India’s fast bowlers. If we analyze them individually, Arshdeep Singh shouldn’t be a topic of discussion as he has been absolutely outstanding. He is a gem.”
Chopra noted that Arshdeep had a challenging IPL 2023 season but felt that the Punjab Kings did not utilize him effectively.
“However, the Punjab Kings undermined his abilities. They didn’t deploy him in the right situations. I believe they marginalized him to some extent. He is an exceptional player with the potential to excel, but his opportunities were limited due to the team’s decisions.”
Regarding Umran Malik, Chopra mentioned that his selection was intriguing, and he blamed his IPL franchise, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, for not utilizing him properly.
“Umran Malik is another interesting choice because a similar story unfolded with him. Unfortunately, Hyderabad hardly used him, and when they did, they didn’t make the best use of his abilities. He was quite expensive in the limited opportunities he got. However, Umran Malik can be a decent option in the middle overs.”
Chopra also expressed his view that Avesh Khan’s career seems to be on the decline, and Mukesh Kumar might be better suited for Test cricket rather than the white-ball format.
As India prepares for the T20I series against West Indies, Aakash Chopra has highlighted the concerns surrounding India’s fast bowling unit and emphasized the need for effective utilization of the talented players in the squad.