Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra said India must continue backing Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as openers in the T20I series against New Zealand. Chopra highlighted that India should rotate their players going forward, while keeping the 2028 T20 World Cup in mind.
Sooryavanshi scored a blistering knock of 45 runs off just 19 balls in the third game while opening the innings whereas Sanju Samson was pushed down to number three. The youngster had managed only four runs off eight balls while batting at one drop in the second game after Ishan Kishan was ruled out with an injury.
Aakash Chopra said on Cricinfo, “Well, Vaibhav opens. Abhishek Sharma continues to open. When World Cup is two years away, and there’s no imminent requirement to crystallize a team. These are a lot of T20s. Abhishek, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav, Ishan Kishan, just tell all of them the fact is that we have only three spaces. We’ll just keep rotating, irrespective of the form.”
“So I feel that you can’t bench Suryavanshi now. Now, it has to be a toss up between Ishan and Sanju. One of the two should play. I mean, they will have to play. Both can play, but one of the two is what I’m saying, that whoever plays keeps. So I don’t know what the right answer is, to be very honest.”
Sooryavanshi has certainly shown the skills to go a long way in his career but Sanju Samson is currently India’s first-choice opener. Ishan Kishan is also expected to get back into the team’s playing XI as he has been in tremendous form once he recovers from his injury.
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday.
