India are incomplete without Pandya, says Aakash Chopra

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says India are “incomplete” without Hardik Pandya, underlining the all-rounder’s unmatched value as the team begins its final preparation for the T20 World Cup with a crucial five-match series against New Zealand.

The series is India’s final T20I assignment before they begin the defence of their T20 world title.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan’, Chopra reserved special praise for Pandya, calling him irreplaceable in the Indian setup.

“Team India is incomplete without Hardik Pandya. There is only one Hardik in the entire world. What he provides with bat and ball, no one else in India can do,” he said.

“You might want a spinner like Varun Chakaravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav in the eleven, but then you also need a batter at number eight. You can’t have everything, you can’t field twelve players.

“Only Hardik can do this for you. He can bowl with the new ball and make an impact, and he bowls at the death too. He even bowled the final over of the 2024 T20 World Cup which India won. Only Hardik can do such things. You won’t find anyone else like him.”

Chopra said the New Zealand series will be key for India to settle combinations amid injury and form concerns.

“This five-match T20I series versus New Zealand is very important for Suryakumar Yadav and his team. New Zealand have also come fully prepared. In the ODI series they rested some players, but here their main T20 World Cup squad is playing,” Chopra said.

He added that the team management must use the series to finalise their balance.

“Will they play two pacers and three spinners? Which batters do they need? If Tilak Varma is fit, will they give Rinku Singh a chance or keep playing Shreyas Iyer? There are many questions to answer before this series,” he noted.

Chopra also spoke about Abhishek Sharma’s growing stature in T20 cricket, saying the left-hander now carries a “fear factor”.

“In the last six to eight months, Abhishek Sharma has shown different sides to his game. Now, his reputation arrives before he does — the kind of fear Rohit Sharma had in this format,” he said.

On India captain Suryakumar, Chopra advised a slight tactical adjustment early in the innings.

“He needs to remind himself that he is a 360-degree player and can score all around the ground. Early on, he should look to play straighter and along the ground,” he said.

With selection calls and roles still fluid, the New Zealand series is expected to play a decisive role in shaping India’s T20 plans going forward.