'Tell beforehand that you'll bat first' - Aakash Chopra wants different approach from India in second Bangladesh T20I

With India preparing to take on Bangladesh in the second T20I of their ongoing three-match series, former Indian opener turned commentator Aakash Chopra has proposed a different strategy for the hosts. He believes that the Men in Blue should opt to bat first if they win the toss, pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and setting a challenging target for the opposition.

The series opener in Gwalior witnessed India dominate with a seven-wicket victory. Despite handing over two debut caps in the form of Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy, the Indian team dismantled the visitors for just 127 runs before chasing down the target with 49 balls to spare. 

"You generally think that you need to win an international game or series. Then you think that you would win even if you play at 70 percent. You give debuts to two players but still win one-sided. Then you feel that you should challenge yourself. When you are at the top, it is lonely, no one can reach there," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

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Have to challenge yourself: Aakash Chopra

The former cricketer advised Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav to inform his batters beforehand about the intention to bat first. According to Chopra this would prepare the team mentally and allow them to come hard at the opposition from the start.

"So you have to challenge yourself. You need internal motivation. For that, I would say that Suryakumar Yadav should bat first if he wins the toss in Delhi. If the opposing team wins the toss, they will anyway ask you to bat. So tell your batters beforehand that you are going to bat first," Chopra added.

The former cricketer also thinks that with India's current batting firepower, a score between 225 to 250 is achievable if they maintain their aggressive approach. He mentioned the potential challenge of dew later in the game but suggested that it is a risk worth taking.

"Then when they get to bat, the way they are playing, if they start playing in that same fashion, 225 to 250 is possible. Why not, because you can try to play that way. Dew might come later because we are talking about Delhi now. So you might have to bowl with a slightly wet ball but that's okay," he concluded.

In the first T20I, Hardik Pandya led the charge with his unbeaten 39 off 16 balls. Other batters, including Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav, also contributed with quick-fire innings.