Aakash Chopra wonders whether Shubman Gill should have been sent back to India to prepare for South Africa series

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra wondered whether Shubman Gill should have been sent back to India to prepare for the Test series against South Africa. Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the squad to prepare for the red-ball assignment.

Yadav will play for India A in the second unofficial Test against South Africa A. Meanwhile, Australia has also released players like Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head, so that they can start their preparations for the all-important Ashes.

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “Travis Head is now out of the T20I series. He will go and practice with the red ball because the Ashes are about to come. Kuldeep Yadav has also returned home because he will play for India A against South Africa A, so that he can also prepare for red-ball cricket. I am wondering whether Shubman Gill should have also been sent back.”

“Josh Hazlewood wasn’t there already. Glenn Maxwell might become available now, but Travis Head won’t be there. It’s a strange series. It’s a bilateral series, but is it actually an important series? If preparations for something else are more important as compared to what is happening currently, it means this is not that important. Then why are they playing?” he observed.

Meanwhile, Gill could only manage 43 runs in three ODIs against Australia. Gill has returned with scores of 37, 5, and 15 in the first three T20Is and Chopra highlighted that the Australian tour isn’t going very well for the Indian opener.

“I felt Shubman Gill could have been released as well because his tour isn’t going very good, and the more such innings keep happening, the more pressure might be mounting on him. Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal are breathing down his neck,” he said.

“He could have been released and asked to prepare for red-ball cricket. When the selectors don’t wish to play Travis Head and Kuldeep Yadav, you can also go. The two-match series against South Africa will be very important,” Chopra observed.

The fourth T20I between India and Australia will be played on Thursday at the Bill Pippen Oval, Gold Coast.