Former India batter Aakash Chopra has said that India should play Surykumar Yadav in place of Ishan Kishan in their final Super-4 match against Bangladesh. India has already qualified for the final of the 2023 Asia Cup.
Speaking on his Youtube channel, Chopra said India should play Suryakumar, adding that he is yet to crack the template in ODI cricket. India will face Bangladesh in a dead rubber in Colombo, having already qualified for the final.
“Can Suryakumar Yadav be played? I will say he should be played as well. Suryakumar Yadav should be played because when will you play him if you don’t play him now? The fact is he hasn’t yet cracked the ODI template. He hasn’t been able to catch the pulse of ODI cricket,” said Chopra.
He went on to say that this is the right time to test out Suryakumar ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Suryakumar has been named in India’s 15-member squad for the World Cup but last played an ODI match on August 1.
“So if he hasn’t been able to do that and you don’t play him now also and in the three ODIs against Australia as well, when will you play him? Then you don’t get prepared fully as you will say that your 14 are certain but you have taken the 15th on gut feeling, potential and promise,” Chopra added.
Chopra said India should drop Ishan Kishan for the match against Bangladesh and get Suryakumar in. India will be expected to make several changes to their line-up, given the irrelevance of the fixture against Bangladesh.
“So I will say, you should play him, but your question will be in place of whom because Virat (Shreyas Iyer expected to replace him) has already sat out. So I will say play him in place of Ishan Kishan,” said Chopra.
India is set to take on Bangladesh before locking horns with hosts Sri Lanka in the final of Asia Cup 2023 set to be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, September 17.