Aakash Chopra Picks His T20I XI Of The Decade; Omits MS Dhoni, Chris Gayle

Former India opener, Aakash Chopra has named his T20I eleven of the decade. Before announcing it, Chopra made it clear that his team is based solely on international stats and performances, and franchise cricket won’t be considered. He also put a cutoff that the players must have played at least 40 matches for his country during this period- although he did make an exception.

Aakash Chopra started with the openers; Rohit Sharma and Aaron Finch, who are respectively the second-highest and third-highest run scorers of the past decade. Sharma has four tons for India and a couple of three-figure marks have been recorded by Aaron Finch in T20Is.

For number three, it is a no-brainer that Virat Kohli occupies this spot. The Indian captain is the leading run-scorer in T20I in the last 10 years- he currently is the only batsman to average over 50 in all three formats. Bangladeshi all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan finds a place at the number 4 position in Chopra’s team. Shakib averaged 26 with the bat and 20 with the ball in the last 10 years.

Aakash Chopra picked Lasith Malinga as the captain of his team

For the number 5 slot, the former opener makes a surprise pick. Instead of the probable choice of the former India captain, MS Dhoni, Chopra goes with England’s destructive wicket-keeper batsman, Jos Buttler- which also means there is an unorthodox choice of the captain in his team. The Englishman has a higher strike rate than Dhoni during this period.

The 43-year-old picks two more all-rounders in his team – Kieron Pollard and Glenn Maxwell – who are not only great finishers but also provide support with their part-time bowling.

Rashid Khan is the lone frontline spinner in Chopra’s eleven. The leg-spinner has been a sensation in T20 cricket- he is the leading wicket-taker of the past decade. Lasith Maling – the third leading wicket-taker in the last 10 – is also the captain of Chopra’s team.

Yorker king, Jasprit Bumrah – India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is – makes a cut in Chopra’s team for his miserly economy of 6.66. Chopra relaxed his 40 match cutoff for Mitchell Starc – Australia’s leading bowler – who has played 35 games.

Aakash Chopra said that it was really difficult to pick anyone over the lethal left-arm pacer. There is no cricketer from New Zealand or Pakistan in Chopra’s T20I eleven of the last 10 years.

T20I XI of the decade picked by Aakash Chopra:

Rohit Sharma, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli, Shakib Al Hasan, Jos Buttler (WK), Kieron Pollard, Glenn Maxwell, Rashid Khan, Lasith Malinga (C), Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc.

Also Read: ‘He Was On The Verge Of Getting Dropped When Dhoni Backed Him’- Sanjay Manjrekar Recalls How MS Dhoni’s Decision Saved Virat Kohli’s Test Career