Aakash Chopra drops MS Dhoni for Rishabh Pant as he names All-Time India Test XI

Former Indian batter and commentator Aakash Chopra has stunned the cricket world with his bold pick for India’s all-time Test XI. Aakash Chopra named his dream Indian Test team, which missed big names including modern-day icons Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.

As India prepares for the second Test of the ongoing five-match Test series against England, Chopra took a nostalgic detour into Indian cricket history and picked several legends in his dream XI. At the top of the order, Chopra went with two legendary openers, Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag.

It was absolutely a unique choice, as Sunil Gavaskar was known for his classic technique and patience, while Virender Sehwag was known for his fearless stroke play and aggression. According to Chopra, this combo made them the unstoppable openers.

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Virat Kohli named captain as Aakash Chopra names his bold all-time India Test XI

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel, “You can't look beyond two openers whose names are Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag.” Then, the cricket pundit picked Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar for the number three and four batting positions.

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Chopra noted, “Rahul Dravid's name being at No. 3 is as simple as Sachin paaji's name being at No. 4. So, Wall is at No. 3, and at No. 4, we have got God.” However, Chopra overlooked MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, which raised several eyebrows despite their having been vital to India's success in the last two decades.

Well, Virat Kohli makes it into Chopra’s team at No. 5 and is also named captain. Chopra said that VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly were strong contenders, but Kohli’s impact in Test cricket gave him the edge.

He further explained, “You could have tried to keep Kohli's name at No. 4 too, but you won't be able to keep it ahead of Paaji. VVS Laxman's name could have also been there at No. 5. Sourav Ganguly is also pulling his weight, but Virat Kohli has to be there at No. 5.”

Aakash Chopra picks Rishabh Pant over MS Dhoni in India’s All-Time Test XI

At No. 6, Chopra made a bold call by picking Rishabh Pant ahead of MS Dhoni. Despite Dhoni’s successful career as a captain and wicketkeeper-batter, Pant’s impressive Test record at just 25 years old convinced the commentator to pick the left-hander over the charismatic legend.

Explaining his bold call, Chopra said, “When I had made the team three or four years ago, I had kept MS Dhoni's name. However, now I feel you have to put Rishabh Pant. If the guy becomes part of India's all-time Test XI at 25 years of age, you doff your hat. He is worth his weight in gold.”

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Pant has already scored 3,200 runs in 44 Tests with eight centuries, while Dhoni finished his Test career with 4,876 runs in 90 matches. Meanwhile, for the all-rounder slot at No. 7, Chopra went with the legendary Kapil Dev, highlighting his 434 wickets and over 5,000 runs in Test cricket.

The former Indian batter also picked Ravichandran Ashwin at No. 8 and Anil Kumble at No. 9 over Harbhajan Singh and Bishan Singh Bedi due to their outstanding match-winning records. Chopra’s pace attack comprised Jasprit Bumrah and Zaheer Khan.

Here's Aakash Chopra's all-time India Test XI:

Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Kapil Dev, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, Jasprit Bumrah, and Zaheer Khan.