Aakash Chopra, former India opener, has advised India to make two changes in their batting and bowling for the upcoming one-off T20I against Japan. This game will be played on September 22 at the Sano International Cricket Ground.
This is the first time India and Japan will face off in the T20Is, with India coming off a 3-0 whitewash against Afghanistan at home. Looking at the XI that played in the third T20I against Afghanistan, Chopra has suggested that opener Abhishek Sharma be rested and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi be brought in to partner Sanju Samson at the top of the order.
“See, once again, this is a match where you could think about resting Abhishek Sharma. We would say, ‘Let Abhishek sit this one out; it’s okay. You go and play in the Asian Games.’ We can bring Vaibhav in as an opener alongside Sanju Samson. I would expect this one change for sure. This is something you should definitely do,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra further stated that premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah should be rested for this one-off game and younger pacers should be fielded. He said that India doesn’t need to field their strongest XI against Japan.
“Jasprit Bumrah is also part of the squad for the Asian Games. I wouldn’t play Jasprit Bumrah in this match. I’d say, ‘Come on, let the other bowlers play.’ I mean, you don’t want to put out your absolute A1, plus-plus team because the challenge coming from the opposition is not going to be that big,” Chopra added.
Bumrah featured in all three matches of the Afghanistan series, claiming as many wickets at an economy rate of 6.70.
Chopra also discussed the pitch, which, according to him, would have a combination of natural and artificial grass. In addition, he said that the pitch would favor the batsman more than the bowler.
Aakash Chopra said, "It's a decent-sized ground, not a very big one. You may not have known this, but this ground has a hybrid pitch. A hybrid pitch is one that has some natural grass and some synthetic grass on it. Once you add synthetic grass, it becomes a much truer batting surface. After the ball is pitched, it tends to skid a little, and this type of pitch also lasts for a very long time. It requires less maintenance, but it also offers a little less assistance to the bowlers. So, the reality is that there isn’t much seam movement, nor is there much spin.”
Team India will play in the second quarter-final in the Asian Games 2026 on September 28, to be played at the Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin.
