Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has made his Indian playing XI prediction for the first T20I against England. The first of the three matches will take place on July 7, Thursday at The Rose Bowl in Southampton. Aakash Chopra feels that Deepak Hooda should retain his place in the Indian team after a fantastic performance against Ireland recently.
Deepak Hooda won the ‘Player of the Series’ award for smashing 151 runs in two matches. He opened the innings in the first T20I, as Ruturaj Gaikwad was injured. In the second game, Hooda batter and number three and slammed his maiden T20I century. He scored 104 runs off just 57 deliveries in the match.
The batting all-rounder also continued his brilliant form against Derbyshire in the warm-up match leading into the T20I series against England. He scored 59 runs, to take the Indian team to a seven-wicket win. Ahead of the first T20I against England, Aakash Chopra expressed that Hooda will bat at number three in the match.
“I will stick with Deepak Hooda at No. 3. I am not going to make a change because he batted really well (against Ireland). He scored a hundred and almost got fifty in the other game. He was absolutely outstanding,” said Aakash in a video on his Youtube Channel.
Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal could be the two spinners: Aakash Chopra
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra picked Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Dinesh Karthik in the middle order for India in the first T20I against England. He further expressed that Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal could be the two spinners for the Indian team. Aakash picked Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the three pacers for the match. He said,
“I would play Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) at 4, Hardik Pandya at 5, and Dinesh Karthik at 6. Axar Patel had played in the last match and the series before that. He could come in again (at No.7). He and Yuzi Chahal can be the two spinners.”
“Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be my pacers for the game,” he added.
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