Aakash Chopra said that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) could ponder bringing left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar into the side for the clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, April 3.
Punjab played with only one frontline spinner – Yuzvendra Chahal – in their previous game against the Gujarat Titans, which they won by three wickets. However, given CSK’s right-hander-heavy batting lineup, Chopra believes that Brar could get a look in on Friday. However, the former India opener said that Punjab would have to think hard on who they can bench to bring Brar into the side.
“Punjab are not playing spinners. They have just one spinner in Yuzvendra Chahal. They are not going with any other spinner apart from him. Do they think there can be a place for Harpreet Brar here because the opposing team has a very right-handed batting order?” Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
“Apart from Shivam Dube, all are right-handers. If so many right-handers are there, you can bring in Harpreet Brar, but in whose place you will bring him will be a big question because Shreyas Iyer used only five bowlers in the last match, and the team won,” he added.
They don’t need to change anything, barring just one small little thing: Aakash Chopra
While Chopra said that Punjab don’t have any reason to tinker in the batting department, he urged the uncapped Indian batters to put on a stronger show.
“Punjab have been very, very good. They don’t need to change anything, barring just one small little thing. The uncapped Indians, who were their pride last year, among them, Prabhsimran Singh has shown a little game, but Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh, all of them will have to come to the fore,” the cricketer-turned-commentator said.
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Chopra opined that Punjab won their game against the Gujarat Titans the hard way, highlighting the match-winning knock of 72* off 44 balls played by Cooper Connolly with a bit of support from compatriot Xavier Bartlett.
“Cooper Connolly, if you look at it one way, saved them the blushes. The simple reason for that is he stood there till the end and left after finishing the match. He got a little support from Xavier Bartlett, but Punjab should have won that match very easily. They had to really sweat, but the good thing is that they won the match,” Chopra observed.
