Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested Team India should stick with Deepak Hooda at the number 3 spot for the opening T20I match against England. India have rested senior players including Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah for the opening match and retained the squad from Ireland series for it. While the senior players will return to the squad from the second T20I.
Hooda was named Player of the Series on the Ireland tour where he scored his maiden T20I century. The 27-year-old batsman played a crucial role in India’s victory in both T20Is.
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The cricketer-turned commentator said that Hooda was outstanding against Ireland and India should continue with him at number 3 for the series opener against England.
“I will stick with Deepak Hooda at No. 3. I am not going to make a change because he batted really well (against Ireland). He scored a hundred and almost got fifty in the other game. He was absolutely outstanding,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The former opener further suggested India’s middle-order for the clash and picked Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel as the two spinners.
“I would play Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) at 4, Hardik Pandya at 5 and Dinesh Karthik at 6. Axar Patel had played in the last match and the series before that. He could come in again (at No.7). He and Yuzi Chahal can be the two spinners.”
In the fast bowling department, Chopra snubbed Umran Malik and advised India to pick Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who were the frontline pacers in T20I series against South Africa.
“Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be my pacers for the game,” he added.
Umran made his international debut on the Ireland tour where he bowled a crucial final over in the second T20I to help defend the crucial target and seal the series 2-0.
India’s squad for 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel , Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
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