Aakash Chopra reveals India’s probable XI for first ODI against New Zealand

After India’s T20I series win over New Zealand, the Men in Blue are now all set to take on the Kane Williamson-led side in a three-match ODI series starting Friday, November 25. With the goal of building a core team ahead of the next year’s ODI World Cup, this series will play a part to help India fill the necessary gaps that are left.

Senior players like the designated captain Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami will miss the series and thus, the young guns will have an incredible opportunity to prove themselves on the big stage.

Shikhar Dhawan, the stand-in captain, will look forward to getting back into form as there’s plenty of competition for the opening position in the ODI format right now. The same can be said about the pace bowling unit where there’s immense talent. 

Now, with the first match of the series being scheduled to be played at the Eden Park in Auckland, former India opener Aakash Chopra believes India should go with a long tail and picked his probable playing XI for the match.

‘Rishabh Pant probably at No. 5 and Sanju Samson at No. 6’ - Aakash Chopra

After being benched for the entire T20I series, Aakash Chopra believes that the Indian team will give an opportunity to Sanju Samson at number six in the ODIs. The 45-year-old also backed the successful opening pair of Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan for the upcoming series.

“Let us try to pick the XI. Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill – the two openers. Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav – that makes it your four batters. Rishabh Pant probably at No. 5 and Sanju Samson at No. 6,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

“You might have to play Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar, so you have three bowlers who are all all-rounders. Then Yuzi [Yuzvendra] Chahal and Arshdeep Singh. That’s the kind of team that you can actually field,” he added. 

Aakash Chopra’s probable India XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh