'KKR should open up to the idea of dropping Sunil Narine if things are not working out' - Aakash Chopra

Former India batsman Aakash Chopra believes Sunil Narine might not have a guaranteed spot in Kolkata Knight Riders' playing XI for the upcoming season of the IPL. Chopra said that the two-time IPL winners can consider dropping the West Indies star if he fails to do well this season. Narine has been with KKR since 2012 and has been an indispensable part of the team.

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So far, he has picked 127 wickets in addition to scoring 892 runs for the Kolkata-based outfit. However, his performance in IPL 2020 was disappointing as he struggled with both bat and ball. With the ball, he picked up 5 wickets while he managed only 121 runs at an average of just over 13.

Midway through the season, he also missed a few games after being warned for a suspect bowling action. As Narine looks to put the disappointment behind him and do well in IPL 2021, Chopra has said that KKR should not hesitate in dropping their star spinner if things don't work out.

"They should just open up to the idea of dropping Sunil Narine, if things are not working out. He is a big player but his bowling has not been that sharp since questions were raised about his action," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

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Chopra suggested KKR to open their innings with Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi. He also advised KKR to make their pace spearhead Pat Cummins bat at No.7. While Cummins could not deliver with the ball last year, he showed his ability with the bat by playing some fine cameos. The Australian star scored 146 runs with the help of one fifty.

"I will have Tripathi as an opener with Gill. I will keep Nitish Rana at No.3, Morgan at No.4 and Dinesh Karthik at No.5. This is your top five. Now you keep Andre Russell at No.6. If you keep him at No.6, the slight question will be whom will you bat at No.7?

“I would say try with Pat Cummins. If you keep Pat Cummins at No.7, you will have four proper bowlers after that. Varun Chakravarthy and Prasidh Krishna can be there in that. That makes it two," he added.