After successfully ending the 3-match T20I series against New Zealand with a win, the Men in Blue are now all set to take on the Kiwis in a 3-match ODI series starting Friday, November 25.
Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan will be leading the Indian side in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma. Besides Rohit Sharma, senior players like KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami have been rested for the series and thus young talents will get an incredible opportunity to prove themselves on the big stage. The upcoming ODI series will help the Indian side to look out for necessary flaws ahead of the next year’s ODI World Cup.
Meanwhile, ahead of the series opener, which is scheduled to be played at Eden Park in Auckland, former India opener Aakash Chopra feels that the Indian side should go with a long tail and hence he picked his probable playing XI for the match.
Aakash Chopra feels that Sanju Samson will get an opportunity in the ODI series and he will be seen playing at number 6. He also backed Shubman Gill for the opening position alongside Shikhar Dhawan. He said: “Let us try to pick the XI. Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill – the two openers. Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav – that makes it your four batters. Rishabh Pant probably at No. 5 and Sanju Samson at No. 6,”
He added: “You might have to play Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar, so you have three bowlers who are all all-rounders. Then Yuzi [Yuzvendra] Chahal and Arshdeep Singh. That’s the kind of team that you can actually field,”
Aakash Chopra’s probable India XI:
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
