(Source X)
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra recently commented on Avesh Khan’s exclusion from the Indian squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Chopra emphasized the need for the team to have a strategic plan for both Avesh Khan and fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna.
Avesh Khan’s absence from the squad was particularly notable given that senior pacers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were not part of the lineup. Despite this, Khan was not selected, which has generated significant discussion among cricket fans and experts.
For the Sri Lanka tour, India opted for Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Khaleel Ahmed across both formats, while Harshit Rana was included for the ODIs. This decision was surprising, especially considering Avesh Khan’s commendable performance during the Zimbabwe tour.
Chopra, in his YouTube video, expressed his surprise at Khan’s exclusion, noting that Khan had been part of the reserves for the T20 World Cup 2024. Chopra argued that if the team plans to invest in Avesh Khan’s future, they should be giving him opportunities to play.
“It’s a good question because the team recently went for the T20 World Cup and Avesh Khan was in the reserves. After that, where is Avesh Khan? If we want to invest in him, Avesh Khan should have been around.
“He should have been there on the Sri Lanka tour and he should have played matches in Zimbabwe as well. Where was he – nowhere to be seen.”
So they should start investing in him from now itself – Aakash Chopra on Prasidh Krishna
Aakash Chopra also weighed in on Karnataka pacer Prasidh Krishna, praising him highly despite his less impressive statistics. Chopra believes that the Indian team should invest in Krishna’s development. He highlighted Krishna’s potential to excel at the top level and urged the BCCI to create a well-defined plan for both Krishna and Avesh Khan.
“I personally rate Prasidh Krishna very highly although his numbers are not looking very good in T20Is. He has been hit a lot whenever he has played but I would like to invest.
“He has the potential to be a very good bowler at the highest level also. So they should start investing in him from now itself and there should be a clear roadmap for Avesh Khan as well,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
Before the ICC World Cup 2023, Prasidh Krishna was a consistent presence in the Indian team. However, his career has been plagued by injuries. He made a comeback during the Ireland series leading up to the World Cup but has since been sidelined and not included in recent plans.
