ZIM vs IND: Aakash Chopra shares his ideal India playing XI for the first ODI

India is all set to begin its tour of Zimbabwe, and the Men in Blue will start their campaign on August 18, Thursday. The tour consists of a three-match ODI series, and all three fixtures will be played in Harare. While India has named a strong squad to face off against the hosts, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on the ideal playing combination.

The Indian selectors initially chose a 15-member team, with Shikhar Dhawan serving as captain. Later, KL Rahul was added to the team and took over leading duties from the seasoned opener. Chopra believes that with two prolific batters in the opening spot- Rahul and Dhawan, Shubman Gill might not get to bat in the opening slot. He also did not include Ishan Kishan in his probable XI.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra spoke about India’s probable lineup for the first ODI and said:

“Shubman Gill, I think, is a burning question because it seems like a no-brainer that you should stay with him, considering how well he performed against the West Indies. But I feel Shubman Gill will not be able to play as an opener in this match. KL Rahul is back as a captain. I think he will also be opening. Shikhar Dhawan will be there along with him; it will be left and right-handed combination. It doesn’t matter if I personally would have liked something else.”

With almost all of the senior members rested, Dhawan led the team to a 3-0 win against West Indies. But KL Rahul recovered from his illness and injury and was declared fit to play, and as a result, there was a change in the decision. Chopra explained his reasons behind having Rahul as the opening batter and Shubman Gill at the No. 3 spot.

KL Rahul needs some game time and it is good if he plays as an opener: Chopra

“KL Rahul is a very versatile player, he can bat anywhere, but the truth is also that he has not played since the IPL. So he needs some game time, and it is good if he plays as an opener. Then who will play at No. 3? I think that’s a foregone conclusion; if they are No. 1 and No. 2, then Shubman Gill will play at No. 3,” added Chopra.

In India’s most recent ODI series against the West Indies, Gill scored 205 runs while opening the batting in all three games. The final game of the series was disturbed by rain, and as a result, India’s first innings while batting was cut short due to the weather conditions, and the young top-order batter fell just two runs short of reaching his first international century. Chopra named Rahul Tripathi in his playing XI, feeling that he might receive his debut cap.

“I have kept Sanju Samson at No. 4 because I don’t want to play Ishan Kishan at No. 4. I have got Deepak Hooda at No. 5. After that, I have Rahul Tripathi at No. 6, who can actually bat anywhere. Tripathi might make his debut because I won’t play either Ruturaj or Ishan Kishan at this number. Axar Patel, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna – that’s my XI,” concluded Chopra.

Aakash Chopra’s predicted India XI for the 1st ODI:

KL Rahul (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson (WK), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Axar Patel, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna