Chopra backs Suryakumar Yadav, Kishan for Eng series after Iyer's 'disappointing' show

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that IPL sensations Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan might be roped in the Indian team for the upcoming England tour. The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons that the Mumbai duo could replace Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer in the current Indian squad touring Australia. Chopra added that Shreyas Iyer's performance in Australia has been 'disappointing' and Manish Pandey's is also not fully cemented. 

"So both Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are knocking the doors, and considering the number of our players that are getting injured, I feel they might even get to play against England. I don’t think both of them are too far, but if they have another good IPL, which they had in IPL 2020, and if even the 2021 edition goes good, then you will definitely see them play international cricket,” Chopra said as he threw his weight behind the Mumbai duo to earn their call up for national duty. 

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“Let’s be honest, they are not that far. Because Samson got a chance, but he could not make use of that. Shreyas Iyer is also going 50-50, his Australian tour has not been that great, in fact, I will call it a slightly disappointing tour. So if we see from that point of view and Manish Pandey’s place is also not fully cemented,” he reasoned. Suryakumar Yadav was left belittled after his exclusion from India's touring party of Australia despite his stellar show in the IPL 2020. With 480 runs in the IPL 2020, Suryakumar Yadav became the only uncapped Indian player to score more than 2000 runs in the IPL.

READ | 'Why My Name Is Not There?': Suryakumar Yadav Opens Up On Australia Snub, Rohit's 'boost' 

England's Tour of India

India's much-anticipated Day/Night Test against England will be held at Ahmedabad from February 24 next year and the city will also be the venue of one more Test and five T20 Internationals at its newly-constructed Motera Stadium, the BCCI announced on Thursday. The two other venues that have been allotted matches as per BCCI's rotational policy are Chennai, which will host the first two Test matches (starting February 5), and Pune that will host the three ODIs (March 23 to 28).

"Chennai will also host the second Test while the newly built Sardar Patel Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the remaining two Test matches," stated a press release from the BCCI.

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