Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has urged Lucknow Super Giants to open the innings with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. The duo had done a fantastic job in the previous season but Markram has been demoted to the middle order in the last few games this season.
Josh Inglis had opened the innings with his compatriot Mitchell Marsh in the last game against Mumbai Indians and Chopra reckons the former should be demoted to number five. The renowned analyst wants LSG to keep backing Nicholas Pooran at one drop after the left-hander scored his first fifty of the season in the last game against MI.
“If Lucknow lose this game, their tournament will end, which is not a good thing. As it’s said, when you have nothing to lose, you have the entire world to gain. They have almost reached that stage. What can they do? Don’t make Inglis open. Make Markram open. He is an opener only. Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram are your two openers. Allow them to open,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra wants Mukul Choudhary to return to LSG’s playing XII in place of Akshat Raghuwanshi.
“Keep Nicholas Pooran at No. 3 because he only is doing well. He has come in form now. So keep him at No. 3. Keep Rishabh Pant at No. 4. Please bring Josh Inglis at No. 5. For No. 6 and No. 7, write Mukul Choudhary’s name and play Himmat Singh as he scored runs in the previous match. This is your top seven. Do whatever you like at No. 8, but do not mess with this batting order,” he added.
The former Delhi cricketer reckons LSG should bring in Naman Tiwari in place of Avesh Khan, who was expensive in the previous game against MI.
“In bowling, you will have to play someone else in place of Avesh Khan. It could be Naman Tiwari. He is good, and the boy has pace. You can play him, or else you can play Akash Singh or Arjun Tendulkar because Avesh is super expensive right now, and he is not taking wickets. When he is neither economical nor amongst the wickets, that is one thing you need to change,” he said.
Chopra wants LSG to play Digvesh Singh Rathi in place of M Siddharth in the playing XII.
“Play Digvesh Rathi in place of Siddharth because you are chopping and changing a little with spin. Siddharth was expensive in the last match. If you wish, you can play Siddharth, but a little consistency is needed in terms of selection of your spinner,” Chopra observed.
LSG will host RCB on Thursday.
