Aakash Chopra, Shubman Gill
Aakash Chopra (Image Credit: Twitter)

Former India batsman Aakash Chopra ponders over the possible opening partners for Rohit Sharma in India’s T20 side for the T20 World Cup.

He starts by talking about the Delhi Capitals opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, both of whom were in thunderous form during the IPL 2021 before the season was suspended mid-way.

While Shaw is making his return to the India setup on the Sri Lanka tour, on the other hand, Dhawan, who is the captain, was dropped from the eleven in home series against England earlier in the year.

Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan
Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan (Image Credit: Twitter)

However, the left-hander’s form observed in the IPL, and to be seen in Sri Lanka, makes him a strong candidate as a back-up opener; Shaw has stormed his way back into the national reckoning, and Aakash Chopra feels the diminutive opener could be a wild card selection in the T20 side considering his destructive prowess.

“I will include a left-field selection in Prithvi Shaw as well. I am enjoying the way he plays his cricket. His brand of cricket takes the world by storm. It is not necessary that he will score runs in every match, but the day he scores, he will demolish the opposition,” Aakash Chopra said in his YouTube video.

“Let’s see, in the Sri Lanka tour if Shikhar Dhawan scores two centuries and three half-centuries, how will you rule him out? He does well in the IPL in any case and will do well again. Prithvi Shaw, if he scores runs, then it is going to be interesting. It is going to be a sweet headache for the Indian selectors,” he added.

In the end, KL Rahul might just win that race: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra believes that it would KL Rahul who would win the final selection call. He points out that with the batting cushion provided by the likes of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja lower down the order, Rahul would be liberated to bat with freedom at the top.

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KL Rahul
KL Rahul (Image Credit: Twitter)

He also reminds that before the T20I series against England, skipper Virat Kohli, who opened in the last game though, had said that Rahul and Sharma would be their first-choice opening pair. However, going into the future, with probably no more T20I matches between the Sri Lanka tour and the T20 World Cup, it is impossible to say with absolute certainty about Team India’s eleven and combination.

“In the end, it might just be a toss-up between Rahul and Kohli. Rahul might just win that race because now Pant will definitely play; he will come in the middle order, and it is not necessary for Rahul to play in the middle order.

“You can manage the lower order with Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant and Jaddu. I will have Rahul right at the top. If not open, then at three. If he comes at three, then Kohli opens. That’s where I think things are moving,” the 43-year-old further opined.

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