Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra while talking about India’s T20 squad against England said that Manish Pandey’s limited-overs career might be in danger.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced the Team India’s squad for the five-match T20I series, which will begin on 12th March in the New Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera Ahmedabad.
The squad saw the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, and Ishan Kishan earning their maiden call-up. Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey, who sustained an elbow injury during the Australia tour, were the two big names missing from the squad.
IND v ENG 2021: BCCI announces Team India squad for T20Is against England
Addressing Manish Pandey’s exclusion from the squad, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra said that the former’s name not being included in the squad brings a question mark over his international career.
“Manish Pandey’s name usually features (in Indian limited-overs teams). This brings a question mark over his (international) career because he anyway doesn’t get many chances in the XI and now you are again looking at Pant and other options,” Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
Chopra said that Sanju Samson, who also was snubbed from the squad, showed great intent in Australia but failed to make a mark and has paid the price for it.
“Two big names which are missing are of Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey. Samson did get his chance with the bat but it did not go well for him. And that’s the problem of T20. It’s very difficult to do well in that format. So Samson has paid the price. He showed glimpses of what he can do but he couldn’t carry on,” he said.
Aakash Chopra was further delighted that Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Rahul Tewatia are in the T20 scheme of things
“I’m absolutely delighted Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Rahul Tweatia have been selected and they are now in the T20 scheme of things,” he said.
Chopra credited Team India for managing the workload of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami.
“India has done the workload management well. Bumrah has to play the IPL and then the World Cup. So it’s a long long season ahead. There is a five-Test series in England as well, So you really have to manage the workload.
Shami has started to bowl again but he has been rested probably because the T20s are back to back. The turn around time for 5 T20s are quite less,” he concluded.
The T20I matches will be played on March 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 in Ahmedabad.
(Hindustan Times inputs)
