Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned the Indian team management after Shreyas Iyer was left out of the playing XI again in the fourth T20I against New Zealand. As a follower of the team, you are left confused by this repeated decision.
Chopra questions the logic
Aakash Chopra said it makes no sense to keep a senior player in the squad if there is no plan to play him. You either trust a player or make room for someone else.
Series situation raised hopes
India entered the fourth T20I with the series already won. Ishan Kishan was injured and had been playing in place of Tilak Varma, which made you expect Shreyas Iyer to get a chance.
Management sticks to experiments
With both unavailable, Shreyas Iyer looked like the obvious choice. Instead, the team management said they wanted new combinations and left you watching him sit on the bench again.
Senior player treated like a rookie
Aakash Chopra strongly opposed this approach. He said Shreyas Iyer is not a youngster who needs to learn by sitting in the dressing room.
Squad choice under fire
According to Chopra, if Shreyas was never part of the plans, he should not be in the squad. You could have seen younger players like Ayush Badoni or Shahbaz Ahmed included instead.
No chance even after three matches
The confusion grew when Shreyas Iyer missed all four games. You expected a change after he sat out the first three matches.
Extra bowler backfires
Even after Ishan Kishan’s injury, the management picked an extra bowler. That call failed badly as you saw India lose by 50 runs.
Unusual batting order
Aakash Chopra also questioned the team balance. Harshit Rana batted at number seven, which you rarely see even in Test cricket, let alone in T20s.
World Cup planning questioned
Chopra agreed that World Cup planning matters. Still, you cannot justify being unfair to a senior player.
Chopra’s clear message
Aakash Chopra made his point clear. You either play Shreyas Iyer or release him, because keeping a senior player without a role helps neither the team nor the player.
