‘Tell beforehand that you’ll bat first’- Aakash Chopra wants a different strategy from India in 2nd Bangladesh T20I

As India gears up to play Bangladesh in the second Twenty20 International of their current three-match series, former opener Aakash Chopra has suggested a different approach for the home team. If the Men in Blue win the toss, he thinks they should choose to bat first in order to force the opposition to move outside of their comfort zone and present a difficult target.

India dominated the opening match of the series in Gwalior, winning by seven wickets. Even with the addition of two debutants to the side, Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy, the Indian squad crushed the visitors for a mere 127 runs and needed just 49 balls to reach the mark.

“Typically, people believe that winning an international match or series is necessary. Then, you believe that even if you just played at 70%, you would still win. You win one-sidedly even though you offer two players their debuts. You then think you ought to push yourself. On his YouTube channel, Chopra stated, “At the top, it’s lonely because no one can get there.”

You must push yourself: Aakash Chopra

The former cricket player suggested that Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav let his batsmen know ahead of time that he planned to bat first. Chopra claimed that by doing this, the squad will be psychologically ready to take the enemy on right away.

Thus, you must push yourself. You must be driven from within. For that, if Suryakumar Yadav wins the toss in Delhi, I would suggest that he bat first. Even if you win the toss, the other side will still invite you to bat. Therefore, let your hitters know in advance that you want to bat first,” continued Chopra.

The former cricket player believes that if India keeps up their aggressive style, they can score between 225 and 250 with their current batting strength. Later in the game, he alluded to the possible difficulty of dew, but he also said it’s a risk worth taking.

Then, if they continue to play that way when they bat, they could score between 225 and 250 runs. You could try to play that way, so why not? Dew may arrive later, since we are now discussing Delhi. Thus, it’s possible that you’ll need to bowl with a slightly damp ball, but that’s alright,” he said.

Also Read: ‘My life’s mantra is to enjoy the present’- Arshdeep Singh ahead of 2nd T20I vs Bangladesh

Hardik Pandya led the way with an undefeated 39 from 16 balls in the opening Twenty20 International. Quick-fire innings from Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav among other batsmen also helped.