Former India cricketer Nikhil Chopra believes that Ajinkya Rahane, the team’s senior batter, should be dropped for the Mumbai Test against New Zealand. Virat Kohli, the team’s regular Test captain, will return to head the side in this match.
While appearing on the YouTube channel Khelneeti, the cricketer-turned-commentator made the statements. In the second and last match of the New Zealand Test series. He suggested that opener Mayank Agarwal be benched in favor of Ajinkya Rahane.
Chopra stated that the Indian think tank should provide more opportunities to youth and train them ahead of the next South Africa trip, citing Rahane’s poor batting average in recent years.
“Instead of dropping Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane should make way for Virat Kohli. Rahane doesn’t have a great average and it shows his struggles in recent years. Youngsters should be given a chance to play in India. It is important to give them confidence ahead of an overseas tour. If you are looking to drop Agarwal, then I’d rather pick Suryakumar Yadav for the Mumbai Test.” He said
While Rahane got off to a good start in the Kanpur Test’s first innings. He bowled for a single-digit score in the second. Apart from the stand-in skipper, Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara criticized for his poor batting performance.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara’s form, according to Nikhil Chopra, could be a huge problem for India. He noted that the right-hander hasn’t reached the three-figure mark in Test matches at home in quite some time.
The 33-year-only old’s Test century in India was against Sri Lanka in Nagpur in 2017, when he made a tenacious 143. Chopra also questioned the veteran campaigner’s scoring rate and strike rotation skills.
Read more: Cricket News: Nikhil Chopra says “Virat Kohli should take the place of Ajinkya Rahane”
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