Aakash Chopra, reflecting on India’s T20I series success against Australia, stated that the squad should settle on a consistent playing XI instead of juggling multiple combinations.
During the T20I series, India rotated players at key positions. Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube filled in at No. 3 for the second and fourth games, and Tilak Verma was rested in the fifth game. Arshdeep Singh was benched in the starting, with Harshit Rana getting preference over him.Washington Sundar’s role as a lower-order hitter outweighed his contributions with the ball.
On his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra remarked that while the team tried different combinations, it was time for India to settle on a consistent lineup with just 10 games remaining before the World Cup.
“The team is experimenting, and I hope it comes to an end soon. They moved players up or down the order, play or bench anyone, and openly admitted they are testing combinations. When the team itself says that, you agree that they can experiment,” Chopra said.
“But now, with a five-match home series against South Africa and another five-match series against New Zealand coming up, I believe the experimental phase should end. There’s very little room left for trials, and it shouldn’t continue, especially with the World Cup starting in February.”
The former India batter said that hosting the World Cup brings its own pressure, especially carrying the defending champion tag. He added that the team management should consistently field a side resembling their likely World Cup XI during the last two series leading up to the tournament.
“Playing a home World Cup might feel like an advantage, but it comes with its own pressure. It’s a challenging situation, and that’s why all experiments need to stop now. We should field the team that’s closest to our final playing XI,” he concluded.