Suryakumar, Shreyas or Venkatesh won't compromise top-order slots in IPL 2022: Aakash Chopra

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra feels that the trio of Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer will not give up their top-order slots in IPL despite playing a different role for India. The likes of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have filled the top three slots for India already ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. This means that the IPL performers will get their chances only in the middle-order.

Yadav has done well for the Mumbai Indians at No. 3 and will continue the role while he has been finishing off games well for India in recent times while batting at No. 5 or 6. The same applies to both the Iyers who have done well in the middle-order for India but will play in the top order for their franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.

Speaking about it, Chopra said that it is the IPL performances that will be taken into account while selecting the players for India and not their positions.

Indian team and the IPL are two different universes: Aakash Chopra

Chopra mentioned that Venkatesh Iyer is the best example as he opens for his franchise KKR but was played as an all-rounder at No. 6 for India due to the vacancy of the position. He added that the BCCI might tell Venkatesh’s stateside to get him to bat at No. 6 so that he get used to the role but noted that the same will not be the case in franchise cricket. He also said that the Indian middle-order players at the moment will continue playing their top order roles in IPL.

“Indian team and the IPL are two different universes. When Venkatesh Iyer was selected to represent India, it was because he scored runs for KKR as an opening batter, but for the Men in Blue, he was asked to play down the order because the top order was already stacked up. For his stateside, the BCCI can make him bat down the order, but in the IPL, since the franchises are private, they splash the cash for a particular role. Even, Hardik Pandya will bat at number four for his IPL team,” Chopra told ESPNcricinfo.

“Ultimately, runs are counted and that’s what Venkatesh Iyer has shown us. The cricketer’s job is just to make runs, and if they do so, then selectors will automatically select them, and they will play wherever the requirement is. So, I don’t see Surya, Shreyas, or Venkatesh compromising their top order slots,” he added.