Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Parthiv Patel has suggested two changes in India’s playing XI for the fifth T20I against England. Patel reckons Sanju Samson should replace vice-captain Tilak Varma whereas he feels Suryansh Shedge should replace Washington Sundar in the final XI.
Meanwhile, Tilak Varma scored three runs off 11 balls in the third T20I whereas he was dismissed after scoring 11 runs off eight deliveries in the penultimate game of the series.
On the other hand, Washington Sundar scored only five runs off eight balls in the fourth game. Sundar was taken for 19 runs in a solitary over he bowled on Thursday.
“It’s difficult. You would obviously ask that if Sanju Samson has to come into the team, in whose place should he come? I would actually make two changes. One is that I would give Suryansh Shedge a spot in the team in place of Washington Sundar so that you have four bowlers, and Shivam Dube and Shedge can bowl two overs apiece for you,” Parthiv Patel said on JioHotstar.
“In whose place will Sanju Samson come? Unfortunately, I feel the vice-captain will have to be dropped because, if you want the combination, Sanju Samson can come in place of Tilak Varma,” he added.
On the other hand, former Indian wicket-keeper bat Saba Karim questioned the appointment of a vice-captain in the T20I format.
“Why is the vice-captain appointed, by the way? A vice-captain is not required in T20s. T20 is a format where your vision changes very quickly. You have to make a lot of changes in your preparation so that you remain in sync with the modern T20 game. So a vice-captain is not required there because a vice-captain has a very limited job,” he said.
Parthil Patel added that Sanju Samson should replace Tilak Varma in the final game of the series.
“India thinks like that. Axar Patel was the vice-captain in the World Cup, and he also sat outside in the South Africa match. If the combination isn’t getting set, so be it. That doesn’t mean Tilak Varma will be out of your thinking or plans, but short-term, for this match, I would like to bring in Sanju Samson for Tilak Varma,” he observed.
The fifth T20I between India and England will be played at Rose Bowl, Southampton, on Saturday.
