"He managed the World Cup final" - Aakash Chopra on India's 'all-rounder' issue heading into IND vs ENG 2025 3rd T20I

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Men in Blue are having a slight issue in managing their all-rounders in the ongoing T20I series against England. He pointed out that Axar Patel, one of India's batting heroes in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, batted at No. 8 in the second T20I in Chennai.

The third T20I between India and England will be played in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. The hosts have a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, having won the first game in Kolkata by seven wickets and the second T20I in Chennai by two wickets.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener cited Washington Sundar and Axar Patel's examples to highlight that the Men in Blue couldn't utilize their all-rounders effectively in the second T20I.

"There is a slight issue of too many all-rounders. You played Washi but made him bowl one over. You played Axar, got him to bowl, but changed his batting order to No. 8 or No. 9. Honestly speaking, when you have so many all-rounders, you don't know how to use them. Someone remains underbowled and someone doesn't get enough batting," he said (13:45).

"Ideally, Axar Patel should come to bat up the order. Forget the last match's shot, if you see the last one to one-and-a-half years, he is a very, very responsible batter. You can send him not at No. 8 but earlier. In fact, the Indian team have even sent him at No. 3 or No. 4. He managed the World Cup final. So you don't want to keep him so low in the batting order," Chopra added.

Axar scored two runs off three deliveries while batting at No. 8 in the second T20I. The spin-bowling all-rounder smashed a 31-ball 47 after being promoted to No. 5 in India's seven-run win in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa.

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"When you are playing Washi, you don't want to get him to bowl just one over" - Aakash Chopra

Washington Sundar (left) dismissed Ben Duckett in his only over in the second T20I against England. [P/C: Getty]

While observing that Suryakumar Yadav would have wanted to use Washington Sundar more with the ball in the second T20I, Aakash Chopra pointed out that managing all-rounders is difficult.

"Similarly, when you are playing Washi, you don't want to get him to bowl just one over. It seems great when you hear about all-rounders, but it's not easy to manage all-rounders," he said (14:25) in the same video.

However, the cricketer-turned-commentator acknowledged that India would be happier than England because of the batting depth provided by their all-rounders.

"However, when you look at your opponents and see Jamie Overton coming at No. 7, you say it's better to have Axar at No. 8 than Jamie Overton at No. 7, although now I feel Jamie Overton also won't come there. Brydon Carse will come. He batted extremely well in the last match," Chopra observed.

Brydon Carse smashed a 17-ball 31 at No. 8 in the second T20I in Chennai. He might be promoted ahead of Jamie Overton, who has aggregated only seven runs in his two innings in the series, in Rajkot.