Ahead of the 1st T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked his playing XI for the Men in Blues. Chopra said he picked the team with a view on the ICC T20 World Cup to follow in the UAE and Oman.

After winning the ODI series, a confident Indian side under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan will lock horns with the Islanders which is their last stop in the shortest format ahead of the global T20 meet. Speaking about the playing XI, Aakash Chopra picked Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, and Devdutt Padikkal for the top-order.

In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Aakash Chopra said:

“I’ll try to be fair in my playing XI. Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw are at the top. I am playing these two openers still because continuity is very important to me plus both of them have a chance to play in the T20 World Cup and are in good form.”

🗣️ 🗣️: Captain @SDhawan25 exudes confidence in the #TeamIndia youngsters ahead of the #SLvIND T20I series. 👍 👍 pic.twitter.com/wjeFb3o9tR

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 24, 2021

The cricketer-turned-commentator backed Devdutt Padikkal ahead of Manish Pandey because he believes that Pandey’s is out of the race for the ICC T20 World Cup squad. In the middle-order, Aakash Chopra picked Suryakumar Yadav, followed by the last game’s debutant and second-highest scorer for India, Sanju Samson.

“At four I have got SKY (Suryakumar Yadav), he has played some special cricket so far so you’ve got to keep him. Then I am playing Sanju Samson at five. The problem is I don’t know whom to be fair with because you first gave ODI debut to Ishan, he made a fifty, the second match he got out early so you played Sanju in the third game,” Aakash Chopra said.

“Ishan Kishan played the last T20I against England but here Sanju Samson played the last game and scored 46. Leaving out either of them will be unfair but I am going with Sanju because he played the last game,” he added.

Varun Chakravarthy to make his international debut: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra went with Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya for the all-rounder’s spot while Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were his two fast bowlers. Speaking about spinners, the cricketer-turned commentator picked Yuzvendra Chahal ahead of Rahul Chahar along with debutant Varun Chakravarthy.

“Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya will be back for me; sorry, Krishanappa Gowtham. I would love to play Varun Chakravarthy because, in the jigsaw puzzle of the Indian team, it’s only a mystery spinner that can make them more potent.”

Yuzvendra Chahal will partner him. I want to play Rahul Chahar but not ahead of Chahal. Finally, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar,” Chopra concluded.

Aakash Chopra’s Playing XI for the first T20I: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy.

---