Cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra, suggested that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)must consider dropping Manish Pandey as the batsman is going through a bad patch in the IPL so far. Pandey, who was the first Indian to score a century in the IPL has only scored 22 runs in the three matches he has played so far.
Considering that Pandey comes to bat at no. 4 and LSG have a long batting lineup, Chopra suggested dropping Pandey and bringing in a spin bowler in his place.
“For how long will you stick with Manish Pandey? I think they should look beyond him. Deepak Hooda and Ayush Badoni can bat up the order. What’s the point of Jason Holder coming in at No. 8 or 9. Krunal Pandya too hardy gets to bat. They have a long batting line-up," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“They can drop Pandey and play an extra bowler in K Gowtham or Ankit Rajpoot. It’s a harsh decision, but one that needs to be taken if Lucknow have to move forward in the right direction.
I hope Gautam Gambhir takes it because Pandey is not just cutting it at this point of time. He has been given a prime number, as result the in-form batters are getting less overs to play," Aakash Chopra added.
Lucknow Super Giants will face a spirited Delhi Capitals today at 7:30 PM IST. DC will see a return of David Warner to the side. Warner started his IPL career in 2009 as he played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) back then. Warner said, "I want to learn to hit with one hand from Rishabh. He is a young captain and an integral part of the Indian team. I want to get a chance to bat with him."