Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has shed light on Ravi Shastri’s India’s 2027 World Cup squad. Shastri picked captain Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, which Chopra believes was expected.
The former Indian head coach also included Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant and Chopra reckons both might find it difficult to make the cut into the ODI showpiece.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will be the first choice openers whereas KL Rahul will be the first-choice wicket-keeper. India is also currently backing Ishan Kishan in the white-ball formats.
“He has picked Yashasvi Jaiswal. Very interesting choice. He has given many opening options. With KL Rahul, he has picked Rishabh Pant. This is a slightly different team he has made. Jaiswal has two ODI hundreds, yes. But will he make it? This is a tough question. Pant has been treated unfairly in ODIs, let’s be fair. You dropped him without playing him, but will he be part of the team now? So late, or rather so close to the World Cup? Ishan is the flavour of the month right now,” Aakash Chopra said in an Instagram video.
The former Delhi cricketer concurred with Shastri for backing Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja as spin-bowling all-rounders whereas picking Hardik Pandya as a seam-bowling all-rounder.
“He has included two left-arm spinners (all-rounders) Axar and Jadeja, along with Hardik Pandya. His team does not have a place for Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, so he’s gone with two spinners, who are experienced and proper all-rounders, makes sense.”
Meanwhile, Shastri picked Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who are currently not part of India’s squad across formats, let alone ODIs. Chopra said Shastri’s choice of backing Shami and Kumar is a interesting one.
“Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep, Siraj, Bumrah, no questions asked. But both Shami and Bhuvneshwar, these are very interesting choices. With Shami, Bhuvneshwar, Pant, and Jaiswal as well, this is a very interesting team. I will give this team 8/10 because I feel a team like this may not be selected, unless he becomes the selector himself. I feel a left-arm fast-bowler is missing, and it is not a likely 15,” he concluded.
India’s next ODI assignment is against the West Indies at home.
