Ahead of the T20 World Cup final, Aakash Chopra has warned Sanju Samson to be cautious of Kiwi pacer Matt Henry. He has described the batsmen’s careful play and the performance of all-rounder Hardik Pandya as decisive for the match.
Ahmedabad: The final match of the T20 World Cup is to be played tomorrow between India and New Zealand. Before this big match, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has given a special warning to Team India’s star batsman Sanju Samson. Chopra said on his YouTube channel that Sanju should not attack blindly against Kiwi pacer Matt Henry, but should play cautiously.
Aakash Chopra reminded that Matt Henry’s balls had troubled Sanju earlier also. He said, “Sanju will have to pay a little more attention against Henry. He is a very clever bowler. Henry is adept at bowling the full length ball and swinging it outside. We saw in the T20 series held in Guwahati just before the World Cup, how Henry had clean bowled Sanju for a golden duck. To ensure that this history is not repeated again, Sanju will have to be careful in the beginning.”
Chopra also said that Lockie Ferguson’s speed can also become a threat to the Indian batsmen. He referred to the match in Thiruvananthapuram, where Ferguson had dismissed both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Chopra advised, “It is not possible to score 250 runs in every match. The batsmen should first stay on the pitch and only then play aggressive shots.”
According to Aakash Chopra, India’s fate in the final will depend a lot on the performance of all-rounder Hardik Pandya. He said, “The four overs of Hardik, who shines in big matches, can decide the win or loss. Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is like home for Hardik. He had made Gujarat Titans champion on this very ground. Winning the World Cup here will be a big achievement in Hardik’s career.”
In this World Cup, Hardik has so far scored 199 runs at a strike rate of 163 and has also taken 8 wickets. In the semi-final against England, Hardik’s brilliant bowling in the last overs ensured India’s victory. Now India’s title hopes in tomorrow’s final will hinge on how the opening pair of Sanju-Abhishek fares against the Kiwi pacers.