"Yashasvi has become almost undroppable" - Aakash Chopra says Yashasvi Jaiswal is ahead of Shubman Gill in the openers' race for the T20 World Cup
Aakash Chopra believes Yashasvi Jaiswal is virtually undroppable and is ahead of Shubman Gill in the race for the openers' positions in India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad.
Jaiswal smashed 72 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 180.00 in two innings in the recently concluded T20I series between India and Afghanistan. Gill, meanwhile, smoked 23 runs at a strike rate of 191.67 in the only game he played but was also involved in a mix-up that led to Rohit Sharma's run-out.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Jaiswal had stolen a march on Gill in the battle for the opener's position.
"It's clear that Yashasvi Jaiswal has run ahead of Shubman Gill. Yashasvi is ahead in the two-horse race, Gill is lagging slightly behind. Gill was played in the first match, dropped in the second, and wasn't played in the third as well," he elaborated.
"Yashasvi was made to open in all three (last two) games. He was sent in the Super Over as well. The way Yashasvi is batting, it seems like he is not going anywhere. Considering what Yashasvi did in Indore and has done previously as well, he has become almost undroppable," the former India opener added.
Chopra reckons Jaiswal will win the race if he plays similarly in the first few matches of IPL 2024. He added that Gill will have put in the hard yards even to get a place in India's T20 World Cup squad.
"I still believe opening is the best place for Kohli in T20s" - Aakash Chopra on India potentially having decided that Virat Kohli will bat at No. 3
![Virat Kohli batted at No. 3 in the two T20Is he played against Afghanistan. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/01/afa7f-17056337342016-1920.jpg?w=500)
While opining that Virat Kohli is best suited to open in T20s, Aakash Chopra feels India have decided to play him at No. 3.
"Before this series, Parthiv Patel said and I added more voice to that opinion, and I still believe opening is the best place for Kohli in T20s. However, it seems like Kohli will be at No. 3 because the Indian team is not thinking (about getting him to open)," he stated.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav's absence during the Afghanistan series didn't force India to alter their batting order to accommodate left-handers.
"They are also not thinking because Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav aren't there at the moment. So they are not thinking about the number of left-handers and right-handers. We have Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube - three left-handers," Chopra explained.
Chopra noted that the learning from the series is that Kohli will be seen batting at No. 3 and that his approach will also be slightly ultra-aggressive. However, he urged the Indian team management to reconsider their supposed decision, highlighting the best of Kohli would come as an opener.