ICC World Cup 2023: Aakash Chopra Terms Shadab Khan A 'Serious Contender' To Be Best All-Rounder In World Cup

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra lauded Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan for his performances with both bat and ball in recent times. Aakash Chopra predicted that Shadab Khan could be a serious contender to be the best all-rounder in the much-awaited ODI World Cup 2023.

Shadab Khan is expected to be the spearhead of Pakistan’s spin bowling attack in the upcoming World Cup, set to be played in India between October and November. The all-rounder can contribute crucial runs with the bat in the lower order of the lineup in the highly anticipated tournament.

Shadab Khan Is A Genuine All-Rounder – Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra discussed potential contenders to be the best all-rounder, including Hardik Pandya, Chris Woakes, and Mitchell Marsh, in the World Cup. However, Chopra said that Shadab Khan is also a serious contender, considering his form.

“Shadab Khan, this is a serious name. He is a genuine all-rounder. He has scored 284 runs in 10 matches, which means an average of nearly 30, which is not bad at all considering the number at which he bats. We have not added the numbers of yesterday’s match here,” Chopra said.

The World Cup will start with the match between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 5. The tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with each team playing against all nine other teams.

Shakib Al Hasan Is The Daddy Of All-Rounders – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra described Shakib Al Hasan as the daddy of all-rounders in the upcoming tournament. The former Indian opener highlighted Shakib’s impressive performance in recent times.

“Shakib Al Hasan is the daddy of all-rounders. He owned the 2019 World Cup, his performance was that good. He has scored 331 runs in nine matches, it’s a fairly decent average. He has scored three half-centuries. He has played 368 balls, which means he plays more than 40 balls per match.

The 36-year-old contributed with both bat and ball in the 2019 ODI World Cup. He was the third-leading run-getter, scoring 606 in eight innings with an average of 86.57. He was also impressive with the ball, picking up 11 wickets in the tournament.

Also read: IND vs PAK: Shadab Khan Responds To Ajit Agarkar’s Remark ‘Kohli Will Take Care Of Pakistan Fast Bowlers’