IPL 2021: Aakash Chopra picks his Mumbai Indians' ideal XI

With only a week’s time left before the fourteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway, former India opener Aakash Chopra has picked the Mumbai Indians’ ideal playing XI. IPL 2021 is scheduled to get underway on April 9 in Chennai with a mouth-watering clash between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Mumbai Indians will be looking to become the first team to win the IPL thrice in a row. Last year, they had become only the second team after Chennai Super Kings to retain the IPL title. Mumbai Indians are once again one of the favourites to win the tournament. Led by Rohit Sharma, the team has the likes of Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and several other big names in its ranks.

With so many match-winners in their ranks, it will definitely be a tough task for the Mumbai Indians’ team management to compile a playing eleven. And it looks like their task has been made a bit easier by Chopra as he picked a strong playing eleven for the reigning IPL champions.

Aakash Chopra’s ideal XI for Mumbai Indians:

Aakash Chopra did not spring any surprise with his picks for Mumbai Indians’ top-four. For the openers, he picked skipper Rohit and Quinton de Kock. At number three, the former cricketer-turned-commentator went for Suryakumar before picking Kishan for the fourth spot. He followed the batsmen with three all-rounders.

“Rohit Sharma along with Quinton de Kock, then Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, that makes it the top four. Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard – this makes it seven already. You can move them up and down the batting order,” said Aakash Chopra in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

He then picked four bowlers by starting with Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Chahar. For the remaining two spots, Chopra opined that Trent Boult could be one and Nathan Coulter-Nile could be the other fast-bowler. Chopra concluded by saying that Mumbai Indians will be once again the team to beat.

“After the top seven, you only need to pick four more players and you have picked only two overseas till now. In the four you have Bumrah and Rahul Chahar. So, only two are left in which one you can take Trent Boult and along with him you can play Nathan Coulter-Nile if you want or any other player you wish to play,” observed Chopra.

“They have a lot of options. If they don’t play four overseas also, it will still work out for this team. They are that kind of a side. So one more time, the Mumbai Indians is going to be the team to watch out for and the team for everyone to beat if you are capable of doing that,” he added.

Aakash Chopra’s Mumbai Indians XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, and Nathan Coulter Nile.