Aakash Chopra picks his preferred Team India XI for the 1st ODI vs West Indies; says Kuldeep and Chahal cannot play together
Aakash Chopra has picked his preferred Team India XI for the first ODI against the West Indies.
The Rohit Sharma-led side was dealt a blow ahead of the three-match ODI series with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad testing positive for COVID-19. Vice-captain KL Rahul is also not available for the first match of the series due to personal reasons.
While sharing the XI through a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that the top five almost pick themselves. He said:
"What should be the batting order - Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma make it the top two, Virat Kohli will come at No. 3, Rishabh Pant will come at No. 4 - nowadays he only comes, and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 5."
The cricketer-turned-commentator wants Deepak Hooda to make his international debut in the first ODI. Aakash Chopra elaborated:
"It means you will get the opportunity to play Deepak Hooda at No. 6. It will be delightful because if everyone had remained fit, there wouldn't have been a place for Deepak Hooda. But now when COVID happened and Rahul is not available, a spot has opened suddenly. So the expectation is that if you have picked him as an all-rounder, you should play him as well."
Shahrukh Khan has also been added as a backup option in the Indian squad for the first ODI. However, Hooda is likely to be preferred as he was part of the originally chosen squad.
"I will not play Shardul Thakur at No. 7 in ODI cricket" - Aakash Chopra
While picking Washington Sundar in his side, Aakash Chopra highlighted that Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal cannot play together in such a scenario. He explained:
"I would say Washington Sundar because Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya are not there. You have to play an all-rounder at No. 7, you cannot possibly play a bowler. I will not play Shardul Thakur at No. 7 in ODI cricket. So Washington Sundar plays in my team but if he plays, it means Kulcha cannot play together."
Rohit Sharma said, "Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have been great performers for India in the past, they've created great impact. They were left out due to different combinations we wanted, but it's certainly on my mind to get them back together".
The 44-year-old also picked Deepak Chahar ahead of Shardul Thakur as the seam-bowling all-rounder. Chopra reasoned:
"At No. 8, I will like to keep Deepak Chahar. There is a toss-up between him and Shardul Thakur. I feel you should play Chahar because there is no Bhuvneshwar or Bumrah in this team, so you might see more capability of taking wickets with the new ball in Deepak Chahar. At No. 9, will be Yuzi Chahal. Then the two fast bowlers - I am going with Siraj and I want to play Prasidh Krishna. Avesh Khan might still have to wait."
Aakash Chopra's Indian XI for the 1st ODI: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna