Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has picked India’s playing XI for the first T20I against the West Indies. Chopra didn’t pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in his team, picking Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as two openers.
In the recently concluded Asian Games, Abhishek and Sooryavanshi had opened the innings whereas Sanju Samson had batted at one drop. However, in the series against Afghanistan, Abhishek and Samson were India’s openers.
“Sanju Samson with Abhishek Sharma, my two openers, Ishan Kishan at No. 3, captain Shreyas Iyer at No. 4, Tilak Varma at No. 5, Shivam Dube at No. 6, and Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 7. You can interchange their batting order,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra further picked Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh. The renowned commentator said India can pick either Mayank Yadav or Prince Yadav.
“Axar Patel at No. 8. After that, we will go to Kuldeep Yadav, then Arshdeep Singh, and one of the Yadavs. You can pick whichever Yadav you like. If you want out-and-out pace, you go with Mayank. If you want a little more skill to move the ball and cricketing smartness, you will go toward Prince Yadav,” he observed.
Chopra highlighted that Sanju Samson scored consecutive fifties against Afghanistan, and it will work in his favor.
“If you see Sanju and Abhishek’s numbers while batting together, they are absolutely stellar. Abhishek is in great form. Sanju Samson’s Asian Games wasn’t good, but he scored back-to-back fifties when he played against Afghanistan before that. That goes in Sanju’s favor,” he said.
“However, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 2026 is a year of reckoning. In the Asian Games, you could drop a bowler and play an extra batter, but that won’t be possible now. I will go toward Sanju Samson,” Chopra observed.
Aakash Chopra’s playing XI for 1st ODI against West Indies: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav/Prince Yadav.
