"You probably need a replacement for Hardik Pandya" - Aakash Chopra on Shivam Dube's selection for IND vs AFG T20Is

Aakash Chopra reckons Shivam Dube might have been picked in India's squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan as a replacement for Hardik Pandya.

The Men in Blue will face Afghanistan in three T20Is, with the first game to be played in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. Hardik hasn't yet recovered from the ankle injury he sustained in the 2023 ODI World Cup and has resultantly not been picked in the 16-member Indian squad chosen by the selectors on Sunday.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Hardik's continued absence might have forced the selectors to include Dube in the squad.

"The Indian team have brought Shivam Dube back. That's not a surprise for me because you probably need a replacement for Hardik Pandya, but I am thinking you needed that in South Africa as well," he said (8:15).

The former India opener questioned the think-tank for not fielding the Mumbai all-rounder in the playing XI in any of the five T20Is against Australia.

"You could have played him in one or two matches against Australia as well. You play with six batters and five bowlers. You don't have a sixth bowling option but you don't make a change. Dube was in the team for five matches in India but you didn't play him in even one," Chopra elaborated.

Chopra added that India persisted with six specialist batters and five frontline bowlers and opted not to pick Dube for the T20I series against South Africa.

"You didn't play Washington Sundar either. You persisted with that same six (batters) and five (bowlers) combination. If you wanted to change that, why didn't you take Shivam Dube to South Africa? It would have been the best chance to play him in South African conditions," he observed.

Dube and Washington Sundar were part of India's squad for the T20I series against Australia immediately after the World Cup but didn't get to play a game. While the former was ignored for the subsequent T20I series against South Africa, Sundar didn't feature in the XI against the Proteas as well.

---

"Three fast bowlers are slightly less, so you might see Shivam Dube playing" - Aakash Chopra

Shivam Dube has represented India in 18 T20Is. [P/C: Getty]

Aakash Chopra observed that Shivam Dube might get to play against Afghanistan because of the limited seam-bowling options in the Indian squad.

However, he acknowledged that it might be difficult to accommodate him in the top six, explaining:

"Three fast bowlers are slightly less, so you might see Shivam Dube playing. However, the truth is that you will have either Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal with Rohit Sharam, then Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma. Then you will again play only five bowlers."

Chopra reckons Tilak Varma might have to sit out if Dube needs to be included in the XI. He concluded by stating that a little lack of clarity is evident in the way opportunities are being given to players.