"Arshdeep will have to wait" - Aakash Chopra wants Team India to persist with Umran Malik and Avesh Khan for the 2nd T20I vs Ireland

Aakash Chopra wants Team India to persist with Umran Malik and Avesh Khan and not hand Arshdeep Singh a debut cap in the second T20I against Ireland.

The Hardik Pandya-led Indian side registered an emphatic seven-wicket win in the first T20I between the two sides. However, Umran and Avesh were on the expensive side in that game, with the duo conceding 36 runs in the combined three overs they bowled.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opined that Arshdeep should bide his time for the time being. He explained:

"Arshdeep will have to wait because if I change Avesh or Umran, that's not the right thing to do. So I will let both of them play and tell Arshdeep that he will get his opportunity in England, otherwise in West Indies or Zimbabwe. There is plenty of T20 cricket happening, there are 20-22 T20Is in the next five or six months."

The former Indian opener hopes that Umran will get an extended spell in the second T20I. Aakash Chopra elaborated:

"You might think what is the use of playing Umran Malik if you are going to give him just one over. A 12-over match is slightly tricky. The expectation is that it will be a 20-over match and he will get more overs. So I will stick with him, I will stick with Avesh also. I will not change after just one game."

The Indian team will certainly want to give Umran another opportunity in the second T20I against Ireland. Avesh, however, could be given a break if the team management wants to try out another pacer, considering that the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) seamer played all five games against South Africa as well.

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"I will ask Harshal Patel to take rest" - Aakash Chopra

Harshal Patel did not play the first T20I against Ireland

Aakash Chopra wants Harshal Patel to continue to be on the sidelines. He reasoned:

"I will ask Harshal Patel to take rest, there is no tension and that he can play against England because I think he is already ahead in the pecking order. When the pecking order is created - Bhuvi, Bumrah, Shami, Harshal - Harshal is No. 4 at this point in time. The story might be different when Deepak Chahar comes back."

The renowned commentator wants Bhuvneshwar Kumar to continue plying his trade with the new ball for the Indian team. Aakash Chopra said:

"One more question that comes to mind is whether you can rest Bhuvi. I will say don't do that at all. You have to bowl only four overs in T20s and he bowled only three in the last game. Please continue playing, he is looking in very good rhythm, I wouldn't want to change a thing."

Bhuvneshwar registered figures of 1/16 in his three-over spell in the first T20I. The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) seamer, who is on the back of a 'Player of the Series' performance against South Africa, was almost unplayable in the two overs he bowled in the powerplay.