NEW DELHI: Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes India lack balance without Hardik Pandya, stressing the all-rounder's immense importance as the team steps into its final phase of preparation for the T20 World Cup with a key five-match series against New Zealand.
With the series serving as India's last T20I assignment before the defence of their world title, Chopra, speaking on JioHotstar's Game Plan, described Pandya as an irreplaceable figure in the Indian setup.
"Team India is incomplete without Hardik Pandya. There is only one Hardik in the entire world. What he provides with bat and ball, no one else in India can do," he said.
Watch: Hardik Pandya’s big hits leave Gautam Gambhir impressed in nets
"You might want a spinner like Varun Chakravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav in the eleven, but then you also need a batter at number eight. You can't have everything, you can't field twelve players.
"Only Hardik can do this for you. He can bowl with the new ball and make an impact, and he bowls at the death too. He even bowled the final over of the 2024 T20 World Cup which India won. Only Hardik can do such things. You won't find anyone else like him."
Why the NZ series holds significance
Chopra said the New Zealand series will be crucial for India to finalise their team combinations amid ongoing injury worries and concerns over players' form.
"This five-match T20I series versus New Zealand is very important for Suryakumar Yadav and his team. New Zealand have also come fully prepared. In the ODI series they rested some players, but here their main T20 World Cup squad is playing," Chopra said.
He added that the team management must use the series to finalise their balance. "Will they play two pacers and three spinners? Which batters do they need? If Tilak Varma is fit, will they give Rinku Singh a chance or keep playing Shreyas Iyer? There are many questions to answer before this series," he noted.
Chopra also spoke about Abhishek Sharma's growing stature in T20 cricket, saying the left-hander now carries a "fear factor".
"In the last six to eight months, Abhishek Sharma has shown different sides to his game. Now, his reputation arrives before he does - the kind of fear Rohit Sharma had in this format," he said.
On India captain Suryakumar, Chopra advised a slight tactical adjustment early in the innings.
"He needs to remind himself that he is a 360-degree player and can score all around the ground. Early on, he should look to play straighter and along the ground," he said.
With selection calls and roles still fluid, the New Zealand series is expected to play a decisive role in shaping India's T20 plans going forward.
(With PTI Inputs)
Former India player makes massive comment on Hardik Pandya you can't miss
NEW DELHI: Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes India lack balance without Hardik Pandya, stressing the all-rounder's immense importance as the team steps into its final phase of preparation for the T20 World Cup with a key five-match series against New Zealand.
With the series serving as India's last T20I assignment before the defence of their world title, Chopra, speaking on JioHotstar's Game Plan, described Pandya as an irreplaceable figure in the Indian setup.
"Team India is incomplete without Hardik Pandya. There is only one Hardik in the entire world. What he provides with bat and ball, no one else in India can do," he said.
Watch: Hardik Pandya’s big hits leave Gautam Gambhir impressed in nets
"You might want a spinner like Varun Chakravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav in the eleven, but then you also need a batter at number eight. You can't have everything, you can't field twelve players.
"Only Hardik can do this for you. He can bowl with the new ball and make an impact, and he bowls at the death too. He even bowled the final over of the 2024 T20 World Cup which India won. Only Hardik can do such things. You won't find anyone else like him."
Why the NZ series holds significance
Chopra said the New Zealand series will be crucial for India to finalise their team combinations amid ongoing injury worries and concerns over players' form.
"This five-match T20I series versus New Zealand is very important for Suryakumar Yadav and his team. New Zealand have also come fully prepared. In the ODI series they rested some players, but here their main T20 World Cup squad is playing," Chopra said.
He added that the team management must use the series to finalise their balance. "Will they play two pacers and three spinners? Which batters do they need? If Tilak Varma is fit, will they give Rinku Singh a chance or keep playing Shreyas Iyer? There are many questions to answer before this series," he noted.
Chopra also spoke about Abhishek Sharma's growing stature in T20 cricket, saying the left-hander now carries a "fear factor".
"In the last six to eight months, Abhishek Sharma has shown different sides to his game. Now, his reputation arrives before he does - the kind of fear Rohit Sharma had in this format," he said.
On India captain Suryakumar, Chopra advised a slight tactical adjustment early in the innings.
"He needs to remind himself that he is a 360-degree player and can score all around the ground. Early on, he should look to play straighter and along the ground," he said.
With selection calls and roles still fluid, the New Zealand series is expected to play a decisive role in shaping India's T20 plans going forward.
(With PTI Inputs)