"Your batting order is already sorted" - Aakash Chopra picks his Indian XI for IND vs ENG 2025 5th T20I
Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked the Men in Blue's likely playing XI for the fifth T20I against England. While acknowledging that an inconsequential game allows experimentation, he opined that the hosts will likely persist with the last game's top eight in the batting order.
India registered a 15-run win in the fourth T20I against England in Pune on Friday, January 31, to seal the series 3-1 with a game remaining. The final T20I will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 2.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener reckoned that Suryakumar Yadav and Co. are unlikely to change their batting lineup.
"You can say it's a dead rubber, but an advantage of a dead rubber is that you can experiment a little. Since you have won the series, you say you can try a bit. I don't think there is any need or scope for trying in batting," he said (10:25).
"Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson - you will play with them only. Tilak Varma is coming at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav is coming at No. 4. Rinku Singh came at No. 5. Then you have Hardik Pandya at No. 6 and Shivam Dube and Axar Patel after that. So your batting order is already sorted," Chopra added.
India suffered a batting collapse in the fourth T20I against England as they were reduced to 12/3 and then 79/5. However, Shivam Dube (53 off 34), who batted at No. 6, and Hardik Pandya (53 off 30) stitched together an 87-run sixth-wicket partnership to bail the hosts out of trouble and help them post 181/9.
"I feel there is a possibility in bowling" - Aakash Chopra on the potential changes in India's playing XI
![Harshit Rana impressed as a concussion substitute in the fourth T20I against England. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/02/bf159-17384674902388-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that India could rest Arshdeep Singh and play Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana.
"However, I feel there is a possibility in bowling. We can see it in two or three ways. We can play Arshdeep Singh as he has reached 99 wickets and can reach 100 at the Wankhede ground, or else we can ask him to rest because we have won the series. So we will play Mohammed Shami and play Harshit Rana along with him," he said (11:15).
While highlighting the need to play two specialist seamers at the Wankhede, the cricketer-turned-commentator acknowledged that accommodating both Shami and Rana in the XI might be tough.
"I am asking both of them to be played because you will need fast bowling here, and there might also be more dew here. So the spinners' job will become difficult in case you get to bat first. The difficult job will also be whom to sit out," Chopra observed.
Chopra added that Ravi Bishnoi might have to make way if India want to play two frontline pacers.
"You don't want to make Varun Chakaravarthy sit out because he has picked up 12 wickets. Ravi Bishnoi has one of the best economy rates in this series and he took three wickets in the last match. Harshit Rana might not get a chance, or else the Indian team might ask Ravi Bishnoi to sit out because they want to play both Harshit Rana and Shami as they need a bit more pace on this pitch," he elaborated.
Aakash Chopra's likely Indian playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohammed Shami, Harshit Rana/Ravi Bishnoi