"Take those guys who play the same role in the IPL" - Aakash Chopra on whether Rishabh Pant should be India's T20I opener

Aakash Chopra has questioned whether Rishabh Pant would be the right choice to be India's T20I opener as the Delhi Capitals skipper does not play the same role in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Pant was made to open in a few T20Is ahead of the recently concluded T20 World Cup and was believed to be a backup opener for the marquee tournament. The wicketkeeper-batter is part of the Indian squad for the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand and might be seen batting at the top of the order.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan as his first two opening options for the Men in Blue in T20I cricket. Regarding Pant, he said:

"Rishabh Pant is a punt. It is a hot topic at the moment that you should make Rishabh Pant open and you might see him doing that in the next match. I am thinking that if you are taking someone for that role, take those guys who play the same role in the IPL."

The former Indian opener highlighted that the southpaw rarely bats at the top of the order for his franchise. He observed:

"They should be the aggressor in the IPL, they shouldn't play second fiddle. The problem with Rishabh is that he is still seen playing at No. 3 at times, but is not often seen opening, although he scored a century when he opened."

Chopra, however, acknowledged that Pant is a naturally aggressive player, who could be a game-changer in the powerplay overs if given an opportunity at the top of the order.

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"He plays fast bowling very well" - Aakash Chopra on Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson is also part of the Indian squad for the New Zealand T20Is.

Chopra named Sanju Samson as another possible candidate to bat in the top three, stating:

"The fourth name I am putting on this list is Sanju Samson. He plays fast bowling very well, only has problems against leg-spin, especially if the bowler's name is Wanindu Hasaranga. He hits everyone apart from him."

Chopra feels the Kerala batter needs to bat in the top order to be effective in the shortest format. The renowned commentator elaborated:

"Once again his natural game is attacking, he plays the big shots. If you want to try Sanju Samson, keep him in the top three. Don't keep him in the team if you can't give him that spot because if you bat him at No. 6 and he doesn't score runs, you will say he has failed. Don't judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree."

Samson has scored 296 runs at a decent strike rate of 135.15 in the 16 T20Is he has played. He has batted in the top three on six occasions, smashing 138 runs at a strike rate of 160.47.

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