Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra expects Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill to open the innings in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Chopra reckons youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal will be asked to sit on the sidelines in all likelihood.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was added to the 16-man squad for the three-match series. The veteran returned to the T20I squad after a long gap of 14 months. Rohit, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are three specialist openers in the squad.
Jaiswal had scored 60 runs in two T20Is against South Africa recently but Gill had managed only eight runs in those two games.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “Interestingly enough, KL Rahul’s name is not there in this team. There will be a fight for the opening position because Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma are all there. So one of them will have to sit out.”
The former India opener added: “In all likelihood, Yashasvi will be asked to sit out, and Rohit and Gill will open because Gill is a senior member. Seniority-wise, he is ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal. He fluctuates a little too much in the T20 format, that is also a fact.”
On the other hand, KL Rahul was not picked for the T20I squad despite his consistent performances in the ODI World Cup 2023. Chopra reckons Rahul’s exclusion could be the topic of discussion.
“Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were India’s top three in the 2022 World Cup. Among them, KL Rahul has been dropped or has not been picked, there is no clarity, but he is not there. There can be a discussion on that as well.”
The renowned commentator feels Rahul could have played the wicket-keeper role and he could have batted in the middle order. In Rahul’s absence, Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson have been backed by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel.
“His strike rate in T20Is is more than 135, so that is not bad. There are no vacant opening positions in any case, and you play him in the middle in ODIs as well, so you could have done that here too. You play him down the order even in Tests now. However, you said you need to make some change at least.”
Rahul has scored 2265 runs in 68 T20I innings at an impressive average of 37.75 and a fine strike rate of 139.12.
