Aakash Chopra suggests Virat Kohli's replacement in IND XI vs AFG in ODI series

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan are two batters competing for the No. 3 spot in India's batting order during the three-match ODI series at home against Afghanistan. Virat Kohli has made the No. 3 spot his own in the 50-over format, having played there for almost two decades and scripted multiple records. However, the former India captain would miss the series against Afghanistan after being ruled out due to a hamstring injury sustained during the Indian Premier League.

Chopra backed Kishan to take up the No. 3 role ahead of Yashasvi. The former India opener called the wicketkeeper-batter ‘God’s favorite child’, saying he has always repaid the faith shown in him whenever he has gotten a surprise chance.

Six months ago, Kishan didn't have a BCCI contract and was fighting to get close to the Indian team, with a stain of commitment concerns. However, things changed for him drastically after he led Jharkhand to their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. During the T20 World Cup 2026, Kishan was one of the best performers for India, helping the Men in Blue retain the coveted title. Even during the IPL, the southpaw had a much better campaign with the bat compared to Yashasvi.

“Again, [he’s the] God’s favorite child at this point in time. And when he gets the No. 3 spot, I think he’ll score runs. He’s in that kind of form. And whenever doors have opened, unknowingly, it’s Ishan Kishan who walks in. He’s standing there when the door is opened, walks into the team, scores runs, and establishes himself. He always does that," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Kishan amassed 602 runs in 15 matches, averaging 40.13 and striking at 182.42. On the other hand, Yashasvi managed 427 runs in 16 matches at an average of 30.50 and a strike rate of 152.50.

Aakash Chopra’s predicted India playing 11: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav