New Delhi, June 13: Former Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has expressed that experienced opener Rohit Sharma will be keen to score significant centuries in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, starting Saturday in Dharamshala.
Chawla stated on JioCinema, “When you are playing for India in just one format, you want to spend as much time on the crease as possible. No matter how much net practice you do, an international match poses a unique challenge. As a batsman, you aim to score big runs. If Rohit is fully fit, he will want to achieve the big centuries that everyone expects from him. The team will look for a score of 120-130 runs off 100 balls from him, rather than just quick 40s or 50s.”
He added, “During the series, Gurnoor, Harsh Dubey, and Prince Yadav may all get a chance. I believe Prince Yadav has the strongest chance of being selected. Not only in the Vijay Hazare Trophy but also in the IPL, he has executed his plans under pressure, consistently bowling yorkers and taking wickets. So, I will definitely be keeping an eye on him.”
Regarding who will fill the number three spot in the absence of Virat Kohli and how the bowling lineup will adjust without Hardik Pandya, Chawla suggested that players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav should be chosen to fill those gaps in the playing eleven.
Chawla remarked, “Yashasvi Jaiswal has done nothing wrong. He scored a century in his last ODI against South Africa. Given his current form, I think Ishan Kishan will get a chance. When traveling for the World Cup, you need a backup wicketkeeper, so he fits both roles as a backup opener and keeper.”
He continued, “Among the spinners, I would go with Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. Washington strengthens the batting order up to number 8, while Kuldeep will manage the middle overs. If you look at their ODI numbers, very few bowlers are close to them. Among the fast bowlers, I would like to see Arshdeep and Prasidh Krishna get some matches.”
Chawla concluded, “Whenever you talk about Afghanistan, the focus is on their spinners, especially in white-ball cricket. They will have Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi during the middle overs. It will be fascinating to watch the Indian batsmen face off against these spinners.”
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