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'I've been saying this for a long time': Ex-Pakistan skipper suggests 3 changes for India against New Zealand
After a six-day break, Virat Kohli and co. will return to the field on Sunday when they take on New Zealand in a Group 2 game in Dubai.
Team India will be aiming to make a strong comeback after the Virat Kohli-led side faced a heavy opening game defeat to Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup. The high-octane game between arch-rivals turned out to be a one-sided affair in Dubai, with Pakistan cruising to a 10-wicket victory.
An extended six-day break allowed Team India to recover and regroup ahead of its second match against New Zealand on October 31. Such a long break also allows for extended speculations over team combination and the probable changes in lineup, and former Pakistan captain Salman Butt also opined on the Indian XI for the New Zealand game.
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Butt said that India should make three changes in their XI, but barring Hardik Pandya, he didn't name the players who would be forced to bench for his selections.
"I've been saying for a long time that Ishan Kishan has been in good form and Team India should utilise him. They should also bring in Ravichandran Ashwin, he's a proper spinner. He is a wicket-taking bowler and his inclusion also increases their batting depth," said the former Pakistan skipper on his official YouTube channel.
Butt further said that Shardul Thakur could be brought in place of Hardik Pandya if the latter isn't fit to play.
"If Hardik Pandya isn't fit, they should bring in Shardul Thakur because he has been bowling good, and is also contributing efficiently with the bat," said Butt.
Pandya had returned to bowling in the nets earlier this week, with the official account of BCCI posting pictures from his bowling session on Thursday.
Salman Butt's suggestions for changes were in a reiteration to a fan's comment who wrote that Ishan Kishan should open with Rohit Sharma, with KL Rahul and Virat Kohli coming at number three and four respectively.
Pakistan are currently at the top of Group 2 with three wins in as many matches, followed by Afghanistan (one win in two matches) and Namibia (one win in only game) so far. New Zealand and India have both played only one match as well -- both losing to Pakistan. Scotland, meanwhile, are reeling at the bottom of the table with no win in two games.
