‘I feel he might get dropped because…’ – Aakash Chopra names player who might make way for Virat Kohli in 2nd T20I against Afghanistan 

India beat Afghanistan by six wickets on Thursday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. The visitors were inserted into bat first and only managed to set a 159-run target on a decent batting wicket of Mohali. Shivam Dube’s unbeaten half-century and Jitesh Sharma’s effective cameo saw the Men in Blue cross the finish line with 15 balls to spare.

This is Team India’s final T20I assignment before the 2024 World Cup and they will aim to end it on a high note. At the same time, the bilateral series is important for both seniors and youngsters to impress the selectors ahead of the marquee event. Rohit Sharma captained the T20I side for the first time after 14 months but unfortunately got out for a duck through run out. Virat Kohli missed the series opener due to personal reasons but is likely to return in the second match.

The former India captain will be an automatic entry into the Playing XI and is set to play his first T20I match after the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals. It means someone has to make way for the veteran batter when the two Asian sides meet at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on January 14. Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels that youngster Tilak Varma is likely to be replaced as he has failed to make the most of his opportunity.

“After Rohit (Sharma) and Shubman (Gill) got out, Tilak Varma was there and Shivam Dube was sent up the order. Tilak Varma played well for some time but then also got out off (Azmatullah) Omarzai’s bowling. Tilak Varma hasn’t grabbed his chance fully.”

‘Don’t know about Shubman Gill’: Chopra doubts Shubman Gill’s participation in 2nd match as Jaiswal is likely to return

Varma played at the No.3 spot where Kohli usually bats. He managed to stay there for a while, scoring 26 off 22, but failed to turn it into an impactful knock. While Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal are likely to be included in the XI for the next match, Chopra feels that Varma will be an easy choice to drop. Notably, while Dube played a match-winning knock, Jitesh and Rinku Singh contributed their share with minor cameos, cementing their spots.

“Will Tilak Varma play the next match? I feel he might get dropped because if both Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal become available, who will go out? No one can leave Shivam Dube out nor will anyone touch Rinku Singh. Don’t know about Shubman Gill but I feel Tilak Varma might be dropped for the next match,” Chopra added.