"I am advocating for that 1 change" - Aakash Chopra on potential changes in India's playing 11 for NZ vs IND 2026 4th T20I

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that both Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav should be part of the Men in Blue playing XI for the fourth T20I against New Zealand. He reckoned that Arshdeep Singh can be rested to make a place for Mayank.

The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played in Auckland on Friday, October 30. The visitors have already sealed the five-match series by winning the first three games.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener urged Shreyas Iyer and company to include Mayank in the XI at Arshdeep's expense.

"There is scope for one change for sure. Ask Arshdeep Singh to rest. Play both Mayank and Prince because you give chances to youngsters in dead rubbers. Mayank actually bowled well in the first match. So, why not play him? I am advocating for that one change," he said.

Chopra added that India won't be able to play a specialist spinner and should persist with Bhuvneshwar Kumar despite the veteran seamer's slightly underwhelming performances in the first three games.

"I won't talk about playing spin here because there is actually no help for spinners here. You have to bowl short balls and make the batters access the side boundaries. The spinners can't do that job. The fast bowlers can do that job. It might not be going well for Bhuvi, but he should be played all five games," he observed.

Mayank Yadav registered figures of 1/40 in four overs in the first T20I against New Zealand, the only game he has played in the series. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has accounted for a solitary dismissal at an economy rate of 11.58 in the first three T20Is.

"If Ishan Kishan is available, he has to walk into the team" - Aakash Chopra on the other potential change in India's playing 11 for NZ vs IND 2026 4th T20I

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Ishan Kishan should return to the playing XI if he is fit and available and that a rotation policy should be formulated for the four top-order batters.

"If Ishan Kishan is available, he has to walk into the team. If he comes, who will go out? It is not an easy decision. You may be the best player on the planet, but since we have to accommodate Vaibhav Suryavanshi and we want to keep all four together, I think you will have to take the support of rotation," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also questioned fans who asked for either Shreyas Iyer or Tilak Varma to be dropped to accommodate all four top-order batters.

"Someone said Shreyas should be dropped. Someone wrote below that Tilak should be dropped. I said, 'Don't you watch the match.' Tilak Varma won the match just now. How will you drop Tilak Varma? Shreyas Iyer had two bad matches, and you are saying he should be dropped," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra highlighted that he does not have the answer to who should make way for Ishan Kishan. The analyst added that Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir need to make that tough call and that he doesn't envy their job.

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