After India’s 2-1 T20 series win against Australia, former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator Aakash Chopra has advised the team management to stop experimenting with the playing XI. According to him, the time for trials is over, especially with the T20 World Cup 2026 approaching.
India Tried Multiple Combinations in Australia
Under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, India played a five-match T20 series in Australia.
Two matches were washed out due to rain, and India won the remaining three-game result 2-1.
During the series, the team experimented heavily with batting order, bowling combinations, and player roles.
However, Aakash Chopra believes that India has already gathered enough data from these tests.
Aakash Chopra: “The Experiment Phase Should End Now”
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said:
“This has been an experimentation phase. But now, I hope this experimentation stops. We have already accepted that anyone can bat anywhere, and players can be rotated. But the time for experiments is done.”
He further added that India will only play two more T20 series at home before the T20 World Cup 2026, against South Africa and New Zealand.
With the World Cup scheduled in February-March 2026, he believes India must now finalize a stable core playing XI.
World Cup Pressure Will Be High
Aakash Chopra also highlighted the pressure of hosting and defending a World Cup title.
“We are the defending T20 World Cup champions. Winning at home is never easy. The pressure is very high. So now, it’s time to stop rotating players and identify the strongest playing XI.”
He mentioned that after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, India has performed well globally, but complacency must be avoided.