Aakash Chopra believes Shivam Dube may have been chosen for India’s T20I series against Afghanistan. He might replace Hardik Pandya.
India will challenge Afghanistan in three T20Is. The first game is in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. Hardik is still healing from an ankle injury from the 2023 ODI World Cup. So, he’s not in the 16-member Indian squad selected on Sunday.
In a video that he posted to his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra expressed his opinion that the selectors may have been compelled to put Dube in the team due to Hardik’s ongoing absence.
“The Indian team have brought Shivam Dube back. That’s not a surprise for me because you probably need a replacement for Hardik Pandya, but I am thinking you needed that in South Africa as well.”
Aakash Chopra
The former opener for India questioned the thought tank’s decision to keep the Mumbai all-rounder out of the starting lineup for any of the five Twenty20 Internationals against Australia.
“You could have played him in one or two matches against Australia as well. You play with six batters and five bowlers. You don’t have a sixth bowling option but you don’t make a change. Dube was in the team for five matches in India but you didn’t play him in even one.”
Aakash Chopra
In the T20I series against South Africa, Chopra said, India decided not to choose Dube and instead stuck with their lineup of five front-line bowlers and six specialized hitters.
“You didn’t play Washington Sundar either. You persisted with that same six (batters) and five (bowlers) combination. If you wanted to change that, why didn’t you take Shivam Dube to South Africa? It would have been the best chance to play him in South African conditions.”
Aakash Chopra
Despite not getting to play a match, Dube and Washington Sundar were included in the Indian team for the T20I series against Australia that followed the World Cup. Sundar was left out of the starting XI against the Proteas, although he was overlooked for the next T20I series against South Africa.
“Three fast bowlers are slightly less, so you might see Shivam Dube playing” – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra noted that the Indian team’s dearth of seam-bowling alternatives would allow Shivam Dube to play against Afghanistan.
He did, however, concede that it could be challenging to fit him in the top six, stating:
“Three fast bowlers are slightly less, so you might see Shivam Dube playing. However, the truth is that you will have either Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal with Rohit Sharam, then Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma. Then you will again play only five bowlers.”
Aakash Chopra
According to Chopra, Tilak Varma could have to withdraw if Dube is required in the starting XI. He said in closing that there seems to be a little ambiguity in the manner players are being handed opportunities.