Aakash Chopra points to Gill as opening partner race heats up in South Africa

In the lead-up to the first T20I showdown between India and South Africa, former cricketer Aakash Chopra found himself in a quandary over who would partner Shubman Gill at the top. The competition for the spot boiled down to a tight tussle between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, both having showcased their batting prowess during the recent T20I series against Australia.

Gill, who had a breather during the series against the Aussies, marked his return and is deemed a definite starter by Chopra. However, the dilemma persisted over choosing between Jaiswal and Gaikwad as his potential opening ally. He deliberated on the strengths of both contenders, acknowledging Gaikwad's century and top-scoring performance in the previous series while highlighting Jaiswal's left-handed aggressive batting style.

"Shubman Gill is back, so I am assuming he will play. He should play the first match itself. If he plays, who will open with him? Both Ruturaj and Yashasvi are standing together and saying that they did well in the last series," expressed Chopra in a video shared on his YouTube channel.

"Ruturaj scored a century as well, was the highest run-scorer, so he will say he should be played. However, Yashasvi is a left-hander, very attractive and aggressive, he will say he should be played. So that's the first fight that who should be played. Difficult question, I don't have an answer," he added.

There’s no chance of Ishan Kishan playing at all: Aakash Chopra

Delving deeper into the squad dynamics, the 46-year-old expressed scepticism regarding Ishan Kishan's chances of securing a spot. He anticipated a consistent playing XI across the three-match series, casting doubts on the expansive squad selection. With a plethora of batting talent in the mix, prospects for youngsters like Ishan Kishan seemed slim, according to Chopra's analysis.

"Then when I go slightly down the order, it seems like there is no chance at all of Ishan Kishan playing because Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma will play here. So Ishan Kishan has gone but he won't play," he concluded.