NEW DELHI: As the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team gears up to kick off their
T20 World Cup
campaign against Ireland on Wednesday, former cricketer
Aakash Chopra
has raised concerns about India's readiness for the tournament.
Speaking on his YouTube channel on Monday, Chopra questioned why the Indian team, despite being among the favorites to win the trophy, is still finalizing its playing XI.
Chopra expressed his apprehension about the team's preparation, highlighting the ongoing uncertainty regarding the batting lineup. He emphasized that players should have been informed of their roles well before the tournament began.
"Are India underprepared for yet another T20 World Cup? Aren't we still figuring out our batting line-up? Who is the opener and the finisher? Should we get to know all these only in the World Cup?," Chopra sounded the alarm bell ahead of the opening match.
"Yes, India like a left-right combination, but are almost certain to go with two right-handers: Rohit and Kohli.
Rishabh Pant
will likely bat at No. 3, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, and their dismissals will depend on whether India will next send Shivam Dube or
Hardik Pandya
. Then
Ravindra Jadeja
and Axar Patel. There are a lot of left-handers. But my question remains, why are we getting to know about this now? Shouldn't it be ideal that we should have known the opening combination by now?" Chopra said.
Chopra also drew comparisons with India's previous T20 World Cup squad from the 2022 edition. He criticized the decision of senior players
Rohit Sharma
and
Virat Kohli
to stay away from the T20 format between the last ICC tournament and December 2023, as they focused on preparations for the ODI World Cup.
"Since the end of the last T20 World Cup in 2022, we have been playing with almost the same XI and the same batting order. So, what have we changed? And the roles that have changed, none were informed about it. It's not ideal. And it is because none of the senior players played since the last World Cup," Chopra said.
"I strongly feel we lack proper preparation. We are still trying to address it. We do have individual brilliance, but what happened last time was that we created a scene around the opening position. Between the World Cup in the UAE and Australia, we tried so many options for the opening role, including Suryakumar Yadav. But eventually, we opened with Rohit and Rahul, Kohli at 3...absolutely no use. That came back to haunt us. It's an early warning, but we haven't prepared well," Chopra elaborated.
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