Just a day after former cricketer-turned-broadcaster <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-cricket-must-not-adjust-for-jasprit-bumrah-sanjay-manjrekar-bold-claim-on-team-india-frontline-quick-1755360673213">Sanjay Manjrekar commented on ace quick Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management</a>, saying how he, and not the Indian Cricket, must be the one adjusting to the cramped cricket calendar, his commentary box mate Aakash Chopra and former India coach John Wright jumped to Bumrah’s support. While Wright took to social media to comment on the matter, arguing Manjrekar missed the point in Bumrah’s case, Chopra feared the worst, saying such remarks could lead to Bumrah's abrupt selection across formats, which could push him towards a potential early retirement.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sanjay Manjrekar misses the point . Although cricket is obviously a team sport, Indians are a nation that idolise their greats . Needed rotation of workloads comes because of the dense cricket calendar for multi format players . Time for the players to make big choices…&mdash; John Wright (@johnwright15) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnwright15/status/1956955330501337322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"Indian cricket must not adjust for Bumrah, Bumrah must. That is, if he wants to. By making some tough choices or working even harder on his fitness, this fitness bar can be raised to whatever levels one wants, like all fast bowling greats have done before him," Manjrekar wrote in his column for the Hindustan Times. &nbsp;Bumrah’s workload management came to the limelight after he failed to feature in all Tests on the recently concluded UK tour, playing three of the five matches, as also suggested by the NCA and team doctors, considering his persistent back injuries. Though he (expectedly) excelled in his brief outings, picking 14 wickets across six innings and breaking multiple records alongside, he failed to help India win any game he played in. The visitors, however, won only those two matches where he didn’t feature, with the remaining quicks faring better in his absence. &nbsp;While Manjrekar picked up the same point, saying if a fast bowler (Bumrah here) is not 100% fit and available for selection for all matches (on an away tour), he shall not be leading the pace attack, Chopra admits accepting Bumrah’s case, for what he brings to the table (if he is 100%) and if that means that the team must rest or rotate him, so be it. &nbsp;"I will be honest, I don't think he will play all the Test matches. He is going to pick and choose. Whether it's right or wrong, it's not a moral or ethical debate, is what I think. If you have a player of that level available, play him whenever he can," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.&nbsp; &nbsp;"There is no bowler like Bumrah. Don't push him forcibly towards early retirement because he is 24-carat pure gold. He is the Kohinoor diamond. The longer he plays, the better it is. I don't think he will play too much Test cricket, but for however long he plays, I would say hold onto it," he continued. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Bumrah, who missed the final Test against England at the Oval due to niggle, is said to have made himself available for selection for the forthcoming 2025 Asia Cup.

The NCA and team doctors advised the Indian management against playing Bumrah in all matches (on away tours), protecting him from recurring back injuries.

Just a day after former cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar commented on ace quick Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management, saying how he, and not the Indian Cricket, must be the one adjusting to the cramped cricket calendar, his commentary box mate Aakash Chopra and former India coach John Wright jumped to Bumrah’s support. While Wright took to social media to comment on the matter, arguing Manjrekar missed the point in Bumrah’s case, Chopra feared the worst, saying such remarks could lead to Bumrah's abrupt selection across formats, which could push him towards a potential early retirement.

The NCA and team doctors advised the Indian management against playing Bumrah in all matches (on away tours), protecting him from recurring back injuries.

Manjrekar gets heat for Bumrah remarks; Chopra fears worst, says 'Don't push him towards...'

Team India suffered a blow in the series opener against England at Headingley, losing the game by five wickets late on the final day. Although the visiting team had four players hitting five tons in total – the most by them in a Test match - they failed to put England under pressure. Reflecting on it ahead of the second match at Edgbaston starting next Wednesday (Jul 2), former Indian cricketer-turned-broadcaster Aakash Chopra said India perhaps made a mistake by revealing Jasprit Bumrah’s possible playing timeline in the UK.&nbsp;Even before the Indian Team departed for England for the five-match Test series, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, while addressing the media, revealed that the NCA doctors had advised them against playing Bumrah for than three Tests, two on the trot.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-2nd-test-jasprit-bumrah-absence-jofra-archer-presence-all-too-much-of-risks-for-india-and-england-edgbaston-1751011523273">IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Bumrah’s absence, Archer’s presence, all too much of risks for India and England</a> &nbsp;Although it wasn’t a secret for anyone to know, given Bumrah’s persistent back issues that led to him missing nearly four months of action early this year, Chopra feels it wasn’t required to inform everyone about it in the first place and that decisions around it could have been taken inside the dressing room, keeping England guessing about his playing time. &nbsp;“Bumrah said he will play three matches only, and I am thinking whether it was required to publicise it. Why was it not kept a secret? We don’t announce our team as well. So, why was it necessary to reiterate it repeatedly before the start of the tour that he would play three matches only? Let them guess. You play whichever Tests you wish,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel. &nbsp;“You have played one, and you know you can play only two of the remaining four matches, which is not a good thing. If you play the second as well, you will play one of three. So, suddenly, the opposition gets into a great frame of mind that Bumrah, your biggest strength, is also not there. You can prepare pitches accordingly,” Chopra added. &nbsp;After the first Test in Leeds, where Bumrah broke multiple records with his 12th away five-for in the first innings, his 14th overall, he also bowled 44 overs across both innings. Although he failed to repeat his first-inning heroics on day five, remaining wicketless in the second, what hurt India more was Bumrah not getting enough support from the other end.&nbsp; &nbsp;“The next generation of Indian fast bowlers will have to be prepared. It’s a serious issue. There were two important pillars of India’s good performances away from home. One was batters starting to score runs, but it doesn’t work out with that, as you need to pick up 20 wickets. So Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj were outstanding with Jasprit Bumrah,” opined Chopra. &nbsp;“I also remember Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Lord’s Test. When there are doubts about Bumrah’s availability, who will take the responsibility going forward, because Mohammad Shami, I think that story is not over, but it is close to an ending. Mohammed Siraj is good, but he hasn’t reached the rank of Bumrah or Shami,” he added. &nbsp;Meanwhile, India and England will face off in the second Test starting July 2 at Edgbaston. Hosts England lead the five-match series 1-0.&nbsp;

India lost the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds by five wickets. 

Team India suffered a blow in the series opener against England at Headingley, losing the game by five wickets late on the final day. Although the visiting team had four players hitting five tons in total – the most by them in a Test match - they failed to put England under pressure. Reflecting on it ahead of the second match at Edgbaston starting next Wednesday (Jul 2), former Indian cricketer-turned-broadcaster Aakash Chopra said India perhaps made a mistake by revealing Jasprit Bumrah’s possible playing timeline in the UK. Even before the Indian Team departed for England for the five-match Test series, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, while addressing the media, revealed that the NCA doctors had advised them against playing Bumrah for than three Tests, two on the trot. Also read | IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Bumrah’s absence, Archer’s presence, all too much of risks for India and England Although it wasn’t a secret for anyone to know, given Bumrah’s persistent back issues that led to him missing nearly four months of action early this year, Chopra feels it wasn’t required to inform everyone about it in the first place and that decisions around it could have been taken inside the dressing room, keeping England guessing about his playing time. “Bumrah said he will play three matches only, and I am thinking whether it was required to publicise it. Why was it not kept a secret? We don’t announce our team as well. So, why was it necessary to reiterate it repeatedly before the start of the tour that he would play three matches only? Let them guess. You play whichever Tests you wish,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel. “You have played one, and you know you can play only two of the remaining four matches, which is not a good thing. If you play the second as well, you will play one of three. So, suddenly, the opposition gets into a great frame of mind that Bumrah, your biggest strength, is also not there. You can prepare pitches accordingly,” Chopra added. After the first Test in Leeds, where Bumrah broke multiple records with his 12th away five-for in the first innings, his 14th overall, he also bowled 44 overs across both innings. Although he failed to repeat his first-inning heroics on day five, remaining wicketless in the second, what hurt India more was Bumrah not getting enough support from the other end. “The next generation of Indian fast bowlers will have to be prepared. It’s a serious issue. There were two important pillars of India’s good performances away from home. One was batters starting to score runs, but it doesn’t work out with that, as you need to pick up 20 wickets. So Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj were outstanding with Jasprit Bumrah,” opined Chopra. “I also remember Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Lord’s Test. When there are doubts about Bumrah’s availability, who will take the responsibility going forward, because Mohammad Shami, I think that story is not over, but it is close to an ending. Mohammed Siraj is good, but he hasn’t reached the rank of Bumrah or Shami,” he added. Meanwhile, India and England will face off in the second Test starting July 2 at Edgbaston. Hosts England lead the five-match series 1-0.

India lost the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds by five wickets.&nbsp;

‘Why was it not kept a secret?’ Broadcaster questions need to publicise team strategy ahead of England Tests

Skipper Rajat Patidar's fifty combined with support from an unerring set of bowlers helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru snapped a 17-year winless streak at Chepauk with a 50-run win over Chennai Super Kings on Friday (March 28).
CSK's defeat to RCB in the 'Southern Derby' in their own 'Anbuden' (Den of Love) was their first since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008.
Former CSK opening batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shane-watson">Shane Watson</a> shared his insights on Chennai Super Kings&rsquo; (CSK) performance. He expressed disappointment over certain decisions, particularly Rahul Tripathi opening the batting while <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ruturaj-gaikwad">Ruturaj Gaikwad</a> was pushed down the order. "Ruturaj is a quality opener, yet he had to come in later. One of the shots he played&mdash;giving himself room against Hazlewood&mdash;was uncharacteristic. Normally, he stands still and reacts, but this showed he was under pressure," Watson, JioStar expert spoke on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/former-bangladesh-captain-tamim-iqbal-discharged-from-hospital-after-suffering-heart-attack-8902509">Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal discharged from hospital after suffering heart attack</a>
He also criticised Deepak Hooda&rsquo;s current form, saying, "Right now, he just isn&rsquo;t up to it; he played each ball as if he was trying to survive." Additionally, he questioned Sam Curran&rsquo;s position at No. 5, asserting, "I see him as more of a No. 7 batter." Watson believes CSK&rsquo;s batting lineup needs adjustments to avoid being exposed in crucial moments.
Watson also emphasised the impact of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ms-dhoni">MS Dhoni</a>&rsquo;s performance, advocating for the legendary cricketer to bat higher in the order. "This is exactly what CSK fans come to see&mdash;30 off 16 deliveries from Dhoni. I would have loved to see him come in ahead of Ashwin. Given the game situation, Dhoni could have continued his onslaught for another 15 balls. Over the last couple of years, he has consistently shown that he&rsquo;s still batting beautifully. If CSK had sent him in earlier, they would have had a better chance of crossing the line."
Watson also praised Dhoni&rsquo;s sharp wicketkeeping. "He&rsquo;s still as quick as ever behind the stumps, whipping the bails off in an instant. That tells me he&rsquo;s well-prepared and in great shape."
<h2 data-start="986" data-end="1718">'Just one of those days for Kohli'</h2>
Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra analysed Kohli&rsquo;s innings.He said, "It was one of those days where nothing seemed to click. He kept finding the inner half of the bat, dragging the ball toward the leg side. He took a blow to the head, managed a couple of good shots&mdash;a six and a four&mdash;but ultimately fell playing a lofted sweep to Noor at deep square leg."
However, Chopra highlighted the team&rsquo;s response. "Despite Kohli scoring 31 off 30 balls, RCB still posted 196. That means in the remaining 15 overs, the rest of the team contributed 166 runs. Earlier, RCB often fell 15-20 runs short when Kohli struggled, but now, with better batting depth and intent, the team keeps attacking regardless of his form."

Cricket, Sports: During the match against RCB, Dhoni went a step ahead, if it was available ever, to dismiss dangerous looking Phil Salt in just 0.16 seconds

Skipper Rajat Patidar's fifty combined with support from an unerring set of bowlers helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru snapped a 17-year winless streak at Chepauk with a 50-run win over Chennai Super Kings on Friday (March 28). CSK's defeat to RCB in the 'Southern Derby' in their own 'Anbuden' (Den of Love) was their first since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. Former CSK opening batter Shane Watson shared his insights on Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) performance. He expressed disappointment over certain decisions, particularly Rahul Tripathi opening the batting while Ruturaj Gaikwad was pushed down the order. "Ruturaj is a quality opener, yet he had to come in later. One of the shots he played—giving himself room against Hazlewood—was uncharacteristic. Normally, he stands still and reacts, but this showed he was under pressure," Watson, JioStar expert spoke on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live. Also Read: Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal discharged from hospital after suffering heart attack He also criticised Deepak Hooda’s current form, saying, "Right now, he just isn’t up to it; he played each ball as if he was trying to survive." Additionally, he questioned Sam Curran’s position at No. 5, asserting, "I see him as more of a No. 7 batter." Watson believes CSK’s batting lineup needs adjustments to avoid being exposed in crucial moments. Watson also emphasised the impact of MS Dhoni’s performance, advocating for the legendary cricketer to bat higher in the order. "This is exactly what CSK fans come to see—30 off 16 deliveries from Dhoni. I would have loved to see him come in ahead of Ashwin. Given the game situation, Dhoni could have continued his onslaught for another 15 balls. Over the last couple of years, he has consistently shown that he’s still batting beautifully. If CSK had sent him in earlier, they would have had a better chance of crossing the line." Watson also praised Dhoni’s sharp wicketkeeping. "He’s still as quick as ever behind the stumps, whipping the bails off in an instant. That tells me he’s well-prepared and in great shape." 'Just one of those days for Kohli' Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra analysed Kohli’s innings.He said, "It was one of those days where nothing seemed to click. He kept finding the inner half of the bat, dragging the ball toward the leg side. He took a blow to the head, managed a couple of good shots—a six and a four—but ultimately fell playing a lofted sweep to Noor at deep square leg." However, Chopra highlighted the team’s response. "Despite Kohli scoring 31 off 30 balls, RCB still posted 196. That means in the remaining 15 overs, the rest of the team contributed 166 runs. Earlier, RCB often fell 15-20 runs short when Kohli struggled, but now, with better batting depth and intent, the team keeps attacking regardless of his form."

IPL 2025: 'MSD still at his best, but he needs to bat higher', says former CSK opening batter

The Indian Premier League is back, and as always, the buzz around the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/royal-challengers-bangalore">Royal Challengers Bengaluru</a> (RCB) is electrifying. With a revamped squad featuring a formidable batting lineup and a strengthened bowling attack, the perennial underachievers are once again aiming for the elusive title. However, one lingering question remains&mdash;does RCB have the firepower to go all the way?
De Villiers, who spent 11 seasons with RCB, believes that the team's strategic moves during the player auction have bolstered their chances. He said, "I really think they made some incredibly good moves in the auction. It's an incredibly good, balanced team." <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ab-de-villiers">AB de Villiers</a>, while addressing the media ahead of the 18th season of the TATA IPL on Star Sports Press Room on Explosive Rankings, emphasised the depth of the batting lineup, noting the blend of power and control, and expressed confidence in the team's potential to clinch the title this year. ​
&lsquo;Yes, they might be lacking an X-factor spinner, but I don't see it as a massive problem,&rsquo; he said. &lsquo;The team has a wonderful balance this time, and that is going to be their biggest strength. Their real challenge will be navigating their tricky schedule, hopping across different venues. That will test their adaptability more than anything else."
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/meet-new-zealand-star-tim-seifert-who-hit-shaheen-shah-afridi-for-four-sixes-in-an-over-as-nz-down-pak-in-2nd-t20i-8864586">Meet New Zealand star Tim Seifert, who hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for four sixes in an over as NZ down Pak in 2nd T20I</a>
A significant change for RCB this season is the appointment of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rajat-patidar">Rajat Patidar</a> as the new captain. De Villiers acknowledged the challenges Patidar might face, particularly the pressure of stepping into the shoes of former leaders like Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. He advised Patidar to remain authentic in his leadership approach, saying, "His challenge will be trusting himself. He must not try to captain like Virat or Faf but lead in his own way. Use the experience around him, but always stay true to who he is.&rsquo;"
Virat Kohli's role remains crucial for RCB. Despite stepping down from T20 internationals, De Villiers believes Kohli has 'plenty left in the tank', especially with the current batting lineup. He envisions Kohli as the 'batting captain', guiding the innings with his experience and game awareness. De Villiers also addressed external criticisms of Kohli's strike rate, suggesting that while outside opinions can influence any player, Kohli's focus and commitment on the field remain unwavering. ​
Interestingly, De Villiers also shared a light-hearted anecdote about the popular RCB chant 'Ee Sala Cup Namde', which translates to "This year, the cup is ours". He revealed that Kohli had messaged him, requesting him to refrain from using the phrase, perhaps to avoid jinxing their chances. De Villiers humorously recounted, "I said 'Ee Sala Cup Namde' somewhere and immediately got a text from Virat to not use it anymore."&nbsp;
<h2>'Rickelton-Rohit partnership might light up Wankhede'</h2>
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians are set to unleash a new weapon in South African batter Ryan Rickelton. Slotted to open alongside Rohit Sharma, the left-hander is in the form of his life and could be one of the most dangerous batters this season. &lsquo;Rickelton and Rohit&mdash;the double R&rsquo;s,&rsquo; AB de Villiers quipped. &lsquo;That&rsquo;s a partnership that could light up Wankhede this season. Mumbai loves an explosive overseas opener, and Rickelton fits the bill perfectly."
The IPL is known for producing young breakout stars, and former India cricketer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aakash-chopra">Aakash Chopra</a> believes names like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav could take their performances to even greater heights this season. However, he pointed out, &lsquo;T20 is a format designed for failure. You will fail more than you succeed. The challenge is to keep evolving."
On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders are dealing with some key departures, including Mitchell Starc and Phil Salt. They have tried to make up for it with Spencer Johnson and other additions, but whether they can replicate last season&rsquo;s success remains to be seen. "The team is still strong, but their biggest challenge will be overcoming internal conflicts and finding the right balance," Chopra remarked.
As the season unfolds, the stage is set for an unforgettable IPL. Will RCB finally lift the trophy? Can Mumbai&rsquo;s new opening duo set the tournament alight? And will Rajat Patidar&rsquo;s leadership prove to be the X-factor for Bengaluru? One thing is certain&mdash;this season promises drama, intensity, and moments of pure cricketing brilliance.

Sports, Cricket: AB de Villiers, who spent 11 seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, believes that the team's strategic moves during the auction have bolstered their chances

The Indian Premier League is back, and as always, the buzz around the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is electrifying. With a revamped squad featuring a formidable batting lineup and a strengthened bowling attack, the perennial underachievers are once again aiming for the elusive title. However, one lingering question remains—does RCB have the firepower to go all the way? De Villiers, who spent 11 seasons with RCB, believes that the team's strategic moves during the player auction have bolstered their chances. He said, "I really think they made some incredibly good moves in the auction. It's an incredibly good, balanced team." AB de Villiers, while addressing the media ahead of the 18th season of the TATA IPL on Star Sports Press Room on Explosive Rankings, emphasised the depth of the batting lineup, noting the blend of power and control, and expressed confidence in the team's potential to clinch the title this year. ‘Yes, they might be lacking an X-factor spinner, but I don't see it as a massive problem,’ he said. ‘The team has a wonderful balance this time, and that is going to be their biggest strength. Their real challenge will be navigating their tricky schedule, hopping across different venues. That will test their adaptability more than anything else." Also Read: Meet New Zealand star Tim Seifert, who hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for four sixes in an over as NZ down Pak in 2nd T20I A significant change for RCB this season is the appointment of Rajat Patidar as the new captain. De Villiers acknowledged the challenges Patidar might face, particularly the pressure of stepping into the shoes of former leaders like Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. He advised Patidar to remain authentic in his leadership approach, saying, "His challenge will be trusting himself. He must not try to captain like Virat or Faf but lead in his own way. Use the experience around him, but always stay true to who he is.’" Virat Kohli's role remains crucial for RCB. Despite stepping down from T20 internationals, De Villiers believes Kohli has 'plenty left in the tank', especially with the current batting lineup. He envisions Kohli as the 'batting captain', guiding the innings with his experience and game awareness. De Villiers also addressed external criticisms of Kohli's strike rate, suggesting that while outside opinions can influence any player, Kohli's focus and commitment on the field remain unwavering. Interestingly, De Villiers also shared a light-hearted anecdote about the popular RCB chant 'Ee Sala Cup Namde', which translates to "This year, the cup is ours". He revealed that Kohli had messaged him, requesting him to refrain from using the phrase, perhaps to avoid jinxing their chances. De Villiers humorously recounted, "I said 'Ee Sala Cup Namde' somewhere and immediately got a text from Virat to not use it anymore." 'Rickelton-Rohit partnership might light up Wankhede' Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians are set to unleash a new weapon in South African batter Ryan Rickelton. Slotted to open alongside Rohit Sharma, the left-hander is in the form of his life and could be one of the most dangerous batters this season. ‘Rickelton and Rohit—the double R’s,’ AB de Villiers quipped. ‘That’s a partnership that could light up Wankhede this season. Mumbai loves an explosive overseas opener, and Rickelton fits the bill perfectly." The IPL is known for producing young breakout stars, and former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes names like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Suryakumar Yadav could take their performances to even greater heights this season. However, he pointed out, ‘T20 is a format designed for failure. You will fail more than you succeed. The challenge is to keep evolving." On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders are dealing with some key departures, including Mitchell Starc and Phil Salt. They have tried to make up for it with Spencer Johnson and other additions, but whether they can replicate last season’s success remains to be seen. "The team is still strong, but their biggest challenge will be overcoming internal conflicts and finding the right balance," Chopra remarked. As the season unfolds, the stage is set for an unforgettable IPL. Will RCB finally lift the trophy? Can Mumbai’s new opening duo set the tournament alight? And will Rajat Patidar’s leadership prove to be the X-factor for Bengaluru? One thing is certain—this season promises drama, intensity, and moments of pure cricketing brilliance.

IPL 2025: AB de Villiers reveals Virat Kohli’s stance on ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’ chant

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/royal-challengers-bangalore">Royal Challengers Bengaluru</a> (RCB) have been handed an intriguing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">IPL</a> 2025 schedule, featuring a mix of home-heavy fixtures towards the business end of the league phase. Defending champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> (KKR) will face RCB in the opening match at their home ground, Eden Gardens, on March 22.
Acknowledging that RCB finished strong in IPL 2024 under a similar scenario, Chopra pointed out that their final league game against KKR could pose a tough challenge. In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra analysed the schedule for multiple franchises, offering insights into potential advantages and obstacles.
For RCB, he noted that their campaign opens against KKR in Kolkata on March 22 and concludes with a reverse fixture against the same opponents in Bengaluru on May 17. Given that KKR dominated RCB in both encounters last season, Chopra suggested that facing them again at such crucial junctures could be a double-edged sword.
"It's interesting for Bengaluru. They have three of their last four and four of their last six games at home. They have more matches at home towards the back end. It used to be a problem earlier, but the last season made you understand that they are quite okay," he said.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-pakistan-have-edge-over-india-due-to-says-former-pak-captain-8728817">Champions Trophy 2025: 'Pakistan have edge over India due to...', says former Pak captain</a> 
However, he remained cautious about the KKR factor, reminding fans that the Kolkata-based franchise has had the upper hand in recent meetings. While RCB lost convincingly at home to KKR last year, they also fell short by just one run.
"They won the last few matches at home and they happened to qualify. So if we see last year's template, it just looks alright. However, it's interesting that they are starting against Kolkata and are also ending against Kolkata. That could be a tough game because their matches are tight and Kolkata beat them here," Chopra added.
Visakhapatnam and Guwahati will host two home matches each for Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) respectively, while Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play three home games in Dharamsala. KKR and DC are yet to announce their new captains for the IPL 2025 season. Meanwhile, RCB recently appointed Rajat Patidar as their new captain, while Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant were previously announced as the new skippers of PBKS and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), respectively.
<h2>'No home games in final phase might test KKR's resilience'</h2>
Turning his attention to KKR, Chopra suggested that their only major hurdle could be playing their last two league-phase matches away from home. Despite a balanced schedule that sees them playing two home and two away games in cycles, the absence of home support in the final phase might test their resilience.
"It's interesting for Kolkata as well. They are playing two matches at home and then two matches away a few times, which I feel is a good thing. The only trouble for them is that their last two matches are not at home," he said.
While discussing other franchises, Chopra pointed out that Gujarat Titans (GT) seem to have an ideal run-in, with their first two and last two matches being played at home in Ahmedabad.
"The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gujarat-titans">Gujarat Titans</a> are playing the first two at home and their last two also at home. Shubman Gill will score three fifties and a hundred in those matches. The matches are in Ahmedabad. So they will be in a good position. In case things go wrong, you have two matches at home in the end and you can turn the tide at that point in time," Chopra explained.
The Titans will kick off their campaign against PBKS and Mumbai Indians (MI) before concluding with home fixtures against LSG and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Another significant concern highlighted by Chopra was the inconsistent home venues for Rajasthan Royals (RR), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Punjab Kings (PBKS). He questioned Rajasthan&rsquo;s decision to start their home campaign in Guwahati instead of Jaipur, considering their poor record at the venue.
"Three teams, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings, have alternate venues, and I start wondering why you do that. Rajasthan are starting their campaign with away matches. They don't win in Guwahati. I think they have won one out of four games," he said.
"So why are you going there at the start? By the time you come to Jaipur, it would be April 13. Twenty-odd days would have passed and you wouldn't have come to your home. People in Jaipur don't know when their team will play in Rajasthan. It doesn't make sense," Chopra added.
Similarly, Delhi Capitals are set to play initial home matches in Visakhapatnam, a strategy Chopra found questionable despite their decent record at the venue. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will conclude their home campaign in Dharamsala rather than Mullanpur, which Chopra felt could nullify their home advantage.
"Delhi are also starting with Vizag. They have performed decently in Vizag, but the same question that is there for Rajasthan applies to Delhi as well. Punjab are in a different boat altogether. Three of their last four matches are home games, and all three are in Dharamsala," he concluded.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Eden Gardens will host the season opener and final, alongside Qualifier 2, on May 23. Meanwhile, Hyderabad will host the two playoffs—Qualifier 1 and Eliminator

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been handed an intriguing IPL 2025 schedule, featuring a mix of home-heavy fixtures towards the business end of the league phase. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face RCB in the opening match at their home ground, Eden Gardens, on March 22. Acknowledging that RCB finished strong in IPL 2024 under a similar scenario, Chopra pointed out that their final league game against KKR could pose a tough challenge. In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra analysed the schedule for multiple franchises, offering insights into potential advantages and obstacles. For RCB, he noted that their campaign opens against KKR in Kolkata on March 22 and concludes with a reverse fixture against the same opponents in Bengaluru on May 17. Given that KKR dominated RCB in both encounters last season, Chopra suggested that facing them again at such crucial junctures could be a double-edged sword. "It's interesting for Bengaluru. They have three of their last four and four of their last six games at home. They have more matches at home towards the back end. It used to be a problem earlier, but the last season made you understand that they are quite okay," he said. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: 'Pakistan have edge over India due to...', says former Pak captain However, he remained cautious about the KKR factor, reminding fans that the Kolkata-based franchise has had the upper hand in recent meetings. While RCB lost convincingly at home to KKR last year, they also fell short by just one run. "They won the last few matches at home and they happened to qualify. So if we see last year's template, it just looks alright. However, it's interesting that they are starting against Kolkata and are also ending against Kolkata. That could be a tough game because their matches are tight and Kolkata beat them here," Chopra added. Visakhapatnam and Guwahati will host two home matches each for Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) respectively, while Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play three home games in Dharamsala. KKR and DC are yet to announce their new captains for the IPL 2025 season. Meanwhile, RCB recently appointed Rajat Patidar as their new captain, while Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant were previously announced as the new skippers of PBKS and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), respectively. 'No home games in final phase might test KKR's resilience' Turning his attention to KKR, Chopra suggested that their only major hurdle could be playing their last two league-phase matches away from home. Despite a balanced schedule that sees them playing two home and two away games in cycles, the absence of home support in the final phase might test their resilience. "It's interesting for Kolkata as well. They are playing two matches at home and then two matches away a few times, which I feel is a good thing. The only trouble for them is that their last two matches are not at home," he said. While discussing other franchises, Chopra pointed out that Gujarat Titans (GT) seem to have an ideal run-in, with their first two and last two matches being played at home in Ahmedabad. "The Gujarat Titans are playing the first two at home and their last two also at home. Shubman Gill will score three fifties and a hundred in those matches. The matches are in Ahmedabad. So they will be in a good position. In case things go wrong, you have two matches at home in the end and you can turn the tide at that point in time," Chopra explained. The Titans will kick off their campaign against PBKS and Mumbai Indians (MI) before concluding with home fixtures against LSG and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Another significant concern highlighted by Chopra was the inconsistent home venues for Rajasthan Royals (RR), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Punjab Kings (PBKS). He questioned Rajasthan’s decision to start their home campaign in Guwahati instead of Jaipur, considering their poor record at the venue. "Three teams, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings, have alternate venues, and I start wondering why you do that. Rajasthan are starting their campaign with away matches. They don't win in Guwahati. I think they have won one out of four games," he said. "So why are you going there at the start? By the time you come to Jaipur, it would be April 13. Twenty-odd days would have passed and you wouldn't have come to your home. People in Jaipur don't know when their team will play in Rajasthan. It doesn't make sense," Chopra added. Similarly, Delhi Capitals are set to play initial home matches in Visakhapatnam, a strategy Chopra found questionable despite their decent record at the venue. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will conclude their home campaign in Dharamsala rather than Mullanpur, which Chopra felt could nullify their home advantage. "Delhi are also starting with Vizag. They have performed decently in Vizag, but the same question that is there for Rajasthan applies to Delhi as well. Punjab are in a different boat altogether. Three of their last four matches are home games, and all three are in Dharamsala," he concluded. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Former India player questions puzzling schedule for multiple franchises

As the date nears for the ICC <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> 2025, cricket pundits are analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the competing teams, with Pakistan&mdash;the defending champions&mdash;drawing particular attention.
Former Indian cricketer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aakash-chopra">Aakash Chopra</a> shared his insights, highlighting a recurring issue that could haunt Pakistan in the tournament: Their vulnerability under pressure.
Chopra, known for his sharp cricketing analysis, pointed out that while Pakistan possesses immense talent and the ability to produce sensational victories, their perennial inconsistency remains a concern. He noted that this has been a longstanding issue for the team, where moments of brilliance are often accompanied by shocking collapses. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s unpredictability makes them dangerous, but it also makes them vulnerable,&rdquo; Chopra said on his YouTube channel, saying that mental strength and handling crunch situations could be decisive factors in the marquee tournament.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-former-blackcaps-bowler-backs-kiwi-mix-of-youth-and-experience-to-shine-8725717">Champions Trophy 2025: Former Blackcaps bowler backs Kiwi mix of youth and experience to shine</a>
One of the key aspects Chopra stressed on was Pakistan's tendency to crack in high-pressure games, a pattern that has been observed in several ICC tournaments. Despite their capability to defeat top teams, the squad has often struggled to maintain composure in knockout matches. This psychological hurdle, according to Chopra, is a 'perennial weakness' that the team must address if they hope to defend their title.
<h2>Will Pakistan be a formidable opponent?</h2>
A major test for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pakistan-cricket">Pakistan</a> will come on February 23, when they face arch-rivals India in a highly anticipated match in Dubai. Given the intense history between the two teams, the contest will not only test Pakistan's cricketing skills but also their mental fortitude. Chopra hinted that this clash could set the tone for the rest of their campaign, serving as a barometer of whether they have overcome their mental fragility.
Beyond individual games, the larger question for Pakistan remains their ability to string together consistent performances throughout the tournament. The Champions Trophy, known for its competitive format, leaves little room for error, and even a single lapse could prove costly. Chopra advised that, for Pakistan to truly dominate, they must couple their raw talent with strategic discipline and a steely mindset.
As the countdown to the Champions Trophy continues, cricket fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if Pakistan can rise above their historical shortcomings and prove themselves as not just unpredictable, but formidable opponents.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: A major test for Pakistan will come on Feb 23, when they face India. The contest will not only test Pakistan's cricketing skills but also their mental fortitude

As the date nears for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, cricket pundits are analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the competing teams, with Pakistan—the defending champions—drawing particular attention. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra shared his insights, highlighting a recurring issue that could haunt Pakistan in the tournament: Their vulnerability under pressure. Chopra, known for his sharp cricketing analysis, pointed out that while Pakistan possesses immense talent and the ability to produce sensational victories, their perennial inconsistency remains a concern. He noted that this has been a longstanding issue for the team, where moments of brilliance are often accompanied by shocking collapses. “Pakistan’s unpredictability makes them dangerous, but it also makes them vulnerable,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel, saying that mental strength and handling crunch situations could be decisive factors in the marquee tournament. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Former Blackcaps bowler backs Kiwi mix of youth and experience to shine One of the key aspects Chopra stressed on was Pakistan's tendency to crack in high-pressure games, a pattern that has been observed in several ICC tournaments. Despite their capability to defeat top teams, the squad has often struggled to maintain composure in knockout matches. This psychological hurdle, according to Chopra, is a 'perennial weakness' that the team must address if they hope to defend their title. Will Pakistan be a formidable opponent? A major test for Pakistan will come on February 23, when they face arch-rivals India in a highly anticipated match in Dubai. Given the intense history between the two teams, the contest will not only test Pakistan's cricketing skills but also their mental fortitude. Chopra hinted that this clash could set the tone for the rest of their campaign, serving as a barometer of whether they have overcome their mental fragility. Beyond individual games, the larger question for Pakistan remains their ability to string together consistent performances throughout the tournament. The Champions Trophy, known for its competitive format, leaves little room for error, and even a single lapse could prove costly. Chopra advised that, for Pakistan to truly dominate, they must couple their raw talent with strategic discipline and a steely mindset. As the countdown to the Champions Trophy continues, cricket fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if Pakistan can rise above their historical shortcomings and prove themselves as not just unpredictable, but formidable opponents. (With inputs from agencies)

Champions Trophy 2025: Former India cricketer pinpoints Pakistan’s achilles' heel

With just days remaining for the start of WPL 2025, former India men&rsquo;s cricketer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aakash-chopra">Aakash Chopra</a> believes the Delhi Capitals&rsquo; are one of the favourites to win the title this year, saying that despite the trophy eluding them twice, their consistency in playing will make them go one step further this time.
DC have been table-toppers in league stages of WPL 2023 and 2024, but have ended up runners-up on both occasions, including at their home ground <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/arun-jaitley-cricket-stadium">Arun Jaitley Stadium</a>. DC will open their WPL 2025 campaign against Mumbai Indians in Vadodara on February 15.
&ldquo;Success is always defined by trophies, but in the first two seasons of the TATA WPL, Delhi Capitals have truly stood out with their style of play and consistency. I know they haven&rsquo;t won a title yet, but they came very close last season. Given their performances, they will definitely be one of the favourites this year as well,&rdquo; Chopra said in an interview to the digital broadcasters.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/new-zealand-vs-south-africa-odi-matthew-breetzke-scripts-history-breaks-47-year-old-record-8707552">New Zealand vs South Africa ODI: Matthew Breetzke scripts history, breaks 47-year-old record</a>
<h2>Who will open for Delhi Capitals?</h2>
DC&rsquo;s opening pair will once again be captain Meg Lanning and young <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shafali-verma">Shafali Verma</a>, but Chopra sounded not too optimistic about them clicking as a pair in WPL 2025. Meg has played cricket sporadically since her international retirement, while Shafali has been out of the Indian team set-up after a poor ODI series against New Zealand last year.
It meant Shafali was back to playing domestic cricket, and finished as the leading run-getter in the Senior Women's One-Day Challenger Trophy, amassing 414 runs in five matches at an average of 82.80 and a strike rate of 145.26, including hitting one hundred and three fifties.
She was also the highest run-scorer in Senior Women's One Day Trophy via 527 runs at an average of 75.29 and a strike-rate of 152.31. &ldquo;Since Meg Lanning&rsquo;s retirement from international cricket, she hasn&rsquo;t been in her best form. Meanwhile, Shafali Verma has also lost her spot in the Indian squad.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Neither of them has been scoring runs consistently, but I&rsquo;m eager to see how they perform in Season 3 of the WPL. One thing is certain&mdash;it&rsquo;s going to be both challenging and exciting,&rdquo; concluded Chopra.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: DC have been table-toppers in league stages of WPL 2023 and 2024 but ended up runners-up on both occasions, including at their home ground, Arun Jaitley Stadium

With just days remaining for the start of WPL 2025, former India men’s cricketer Aakash Chopra believes the Delhi Capitals’ are one of the favourites to win the title this year, saying that despite the trophy eluding them twice, their consistency in playing will make them go one step further this time. DC have been table-toppers in league stages of WPL 2023 and 2024, but have ended up runners-up on both occasions, including at their home ground Arun Jaitley Stadium. DC will open their WPL 2025 campaign against Mumbai Indians in Vadodara on February 15. “Success is always defined by trophies, but in the first two seasons of the TATA WPL, Delhi Capitals have truly stood out with their style of play and consistency. I know they haven’t won a title yet, but they came very close last season. Given their performances, they will definitely be one of the favourites this year as well,” Chopra said in an interview to the digital broadcasters. Also Read: New Zealand vs South Africa ODI: Matthew Breetzke scripts history, breaks 47-year-old record Who will open for Delhi Capitals? DC’s opening pair will once again be captain Meg Lanning and young Shafali Verma, but Chopra sounded not too optimistic about them clicking as a pair in WPL 2025. Meg has played cricket sporadically since her international retirement, while Shafali has been out of the Indian team set-up after a poor ODI series against New Zealand last year. It meant Shafali was back to playing domestic cricket, and finished as the leading run-getter in the Senior Women's One-Day Challenger Trophy, amassing 414 runs in five matches at an average of 82.80 and a strike rate of 145.26, including hitting one hundred and three fifties. She was also the highest run-scorer in Senior Women's One Day Trophy via 527 runs at an average of 75.29 and a strike-rate of 152.31. “Since Meg Lanning’s retirement from international cricket, she hasn’t been in her best form. Meanwhile, Shafali Verma has also lost her spot in the Indian squad.” “Neither of them has been scoring runs consistently, but I’m eager to see how they perform in Season 3 of the WPL. One thing is certain—it’s going to be both challenging and exciting,” concluded Chopra. (With inputs from agencies)

WPL 2025: Delhi Capitals will be one of the favourites to win the title, says former Indian batter

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra claimed that Rohit Sharma's Test career isn't as glorious as Virat Kohli's. Recently, Hitman has been under the radar since his sub-par performance in the just-concluded 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) between India and Australia, where India lost 1-3 to the hosts. He ended with scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 and 9 whereas his average was a woeful 24.76 in whites in 2024. Chopra has compared Rohit's Test run with Kohli and analysed the current Indian captain's Test numbers in depth.
<h2>'Virat has played 123 Tests and Rohit has played only 67'</h2>
On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "His (Rohit) Test career is not as glorious as Virat's because Virat has played 123 Tests and he has played only 67. He has been a bit of a late bloomer. He has scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57 in 116 innings in those 67 games. Kohli's average, despite going down, is around 47."
Analysing Rohit's Test numbers since 2020, Chopra noted, "Let's start from 1st January 2020 till the end of 2024, which means the last five years. He has played 35 matches, Kohli played 39 matches and 69 innings, and he has played 63 innings. He has scored 2,160 runs at an average of 36, which includes six centuries. He didn't play in 2020. In 2021, he played 11 matches, 21 innings, and scored 906 runs at an average of 47.68 with two centuries. Not bad. If you go at an average of nearly 48, thumbs up, it will be considered a good year. So Rohit Sharma 100 per cent pass in 2021."
"He played only two matches in 2022. It's been a problem with him that he has been injured a lot. He has never played an entire series in Australia. In 2022, he scored 90 runs at an average of 30 in three innings. Since it's only two matches, it's too small a sample size to say that the year wasn't good," the former cricketer further opined.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/he-was-very-sam-konstas-reveals-surprise-chat-with-legend-virat-kohli-after-border-gavaskar-trophy-8600904" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sam Konstas reveals surprise chat with 'legend' Virat Kohli after BGT</a>
<h2>'Rohit's 2024 second half was so ordinary that people have written obituaries'</h2>
Chopra added, "He played eight matches in 2023 and scored 545 runs at an average of 41.92 in 13 innings in which he scored two centuries again. So 2023 was not a bad year. An average of nearly 42, you will have to say that it was okay.&nbsp;2024 hasn't been a good year. The first half was okay but the second half was extremely ordinary and it has become so ordinary that people have written obituaries. He scored 400 runs in the five-match series against England and that is why he has an average of 24 in 2024. He scored 619 in 14 matches. He struck two centuries here also."
Under Kohli's captaincy, Rohit's Test career saw a flourish when he was promoted as an opener. Since his promotion as an opening batter, the 37-year-old slammed nine centuries, taking his tally to 12. All of his dozen tons have come in winning causes, however, Hitman's form has taken a huge dip in recent months. His woes against seamers and limited footwork have been exposed time and again, and subsequently, he is facing the heat to retire from Tests.
&nbsp;

Cricket, Sports | Rohit Sharma's Test career not as glorious as Virat Kohli's: Ex-India opener Aakash Chopra makes SENSATIONAL claim, analyses Hitman's numbers

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra claimed that Rohit Sharma's Test career isn't as glorious as Virat Kohli's. Recently, Hitman has been under the radar since his sub-par performance in the just-concluded 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) between India and Australia, where India lost 1-3 to the hosts. He ended with scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 and 9 whereas his average was a woeful 24.76 in whites in 2024. Chopra has compared Rohit's Test run with Kohli and analysed the current Indian captain's Test numbers in depth. 'Virat has played 123 Tests and Rohit has played only 67' On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "His (Rohit) Test career is not as glorious as Virat's because Virat has played 123 Tests and he has played only 67. He has been a bit of a late bloomer. He has scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57 in 116 innings in those 67 games. Kohli's average, despite going down, is around 47." Analysing Rohit's Test numbers since 2020, Chopra noted, "Let's start from 1st January 2020 till the end of 2024, which means the last five years. He has played 35 matches, Kohli played 39 matches and 69 innings, and he has played 63 innings. He has scored 2,160 runs at an average of 36, which includes six centuries. He didn't play in 2020. In 2021, he played 11 matches, 21 innings, and scored 906 runs at an average of 47.68 with two centuries. Not bad. If you go at an average of nearly 48, thumbs up, it will be considered a good year. So Rohit Sharma 100 per cent pass in 2021." "He played only two matches in 2022. It's been a problem with him that he has been injured a lot. He has never played an entire series in Australia. In 2022, he scored 90 runs at an average of 30 in three innings. Since it's only two matches, it's too small a sample size to say that the year wasn't good," the former cricketer further opined. Also read: Sam Konstas reveals surprise chat with 'legend' Virat Kohli after BGT 'Rohit's 2024 second half was so ordinary that people have written obituaries' Chopra added, "He played eight matches in 2023 and scored 545 runs at an average of 41.92 in 13 innings in which he scored two centuries again. So 2023 was not a bad year. An average of nearly 42, you will have to say that it was okay. 2024 hasn't been a good year. The first half was okay but the second half was extremely ordinary and it has become so ordinary that people have written obituaries. He scored 400 runs in the five-match series against England and that is why he has an average of 24 in 2024. He scored 619 in 14 matches. He struck two centuries here also." Under Kohli's captaincy, Rohit's Test career saw a flourish when he was promoted as an opener. Since his promotion as an opening batter, the 37-year-old slammed nine centuries, taking his tally to 12. All of his dozen tons have come in winning causes, however, Hitman's form has taken a huge dip in recent months. His woes against seamers and limited footwork have been exposed time and again, and subsequently, he is facing the heat to retire from Tests.

Rohit's Test career not as glorious as Kohli's, claims ex-Indian opener

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says Virat Kohli's form is a cause of concern for the&nbsp;team as his contribution is more important than skipper Rohit Sharma. The comments come after Kohli's dismal performance in the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand where he even got out on a full toss.

"It's always going to be a concern if Virat Kohli doesn't score runs or scores less runs because he is a mighty player and you make your entire game plan around Virat Kohli. This team requires his form and contribution even more because Rohit (Sharma) is at the top and Kohli is in the middle, the rest around them are all kids," Chopra said on while talking to his YouTube channel.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/theyll-lack-a-australia-head-coach-on-mohammed-shami-missing-from-indias-border-gavaskar-trophy-squad-771122">'They'll lack a...,' Australia head coach on Mohammed Shami missing from India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad</a>

The former India batter also explained that Kohli being in the middle is the calming influence as he takes the game forward by batting long periods of time.

"All kids play big shots, they play in their own way, my way or the highway. In such a scenario, Virat Kohli not only scoring big runs but also batting two to two-and-a-half sessions will be the calming influence. He will drive the game and things can revolve around him. He will want to be the pivot and it will be a problem if he doesn't become that," Chopra said.

India would want their best batter to hit form as soon as possible as their two losses against New Zealand have left them in crunch to make it to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) Final.

India have six Tests remaining in the cycle now and must win at least four of them to guarantee a place in the WTC Final. After the third and final Test against New Zealand, they travel to Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts November 22.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says Virat Kohli's form is a cause of concern for the team as his contribution is more important than skipper Rohit Sharma. The comments come after Kohli's dismal performance in the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand where he even got out on a full toss.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says Virat Kohli's form is a cause of concern for the team as his contribution is more important than skipper Rohit Sharma. The comments come after Kohli's dismal performance in the ongoing home Test series against New Zealand where he even got out on a full toss. "It's always going to be a concern if Virat Kohli doesn't score runs or scores less runs because he is a mighty player and you make your entire game plan around Virat Kohli. This team requires his form and contribution even more because Rohit (Sharma) is at the top and Kohli is in the middle, the rest around them are all kids," Chopra said on while talking to his YouTube channel. Also Read: 'They'll lack a...,' Australia head coach on Mohammed Shami missing from India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad The former India batter also explained that Kohli being in the middle is the calming influence as he takes the game forward by batting long periods of time. "All kids play big shots, they play in their own way, my way or the highway. In such a scenario, Virat Kohli not only scoring big runs but also batting two to two-and-a-half sessions will be the calming influence. He will drive the game and things can revolve around him. He will want to be the pivot and it will be a problem if he doesn't become that," Chopra said. India would want their best batter to hit form as soon as possible as their two losses against New Zealand have left them in crunch to make it to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) Final. India have six Tests remaining in the cycle now and must win at least four of them to guarantee a place in the WTC Final. After the third and final Test against New Zealand, they travel to Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy which starts November 22.

'A problem if he doesn't...,' Former India batter Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's form ahead of BGT

Newly-appointed Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is known for wearing his heart on his sleeves. Besides his accolades as a top-order batter, where he won two World Cups (T20 and ODI), Gambhir was also famous for his well-documented on-field altercations.

However, his former Delhi teammate and now a well-renowned commentator, Aakash Chopra, revealed an instance when Gambhir got into an altercation with a truck driver early into his career, leading to Gambhir climbing up the truck and grabbing his collar.

In a recent podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Aakash recalled this one intriguing anecdote where Gambhir took matters into his own hands and went after a truck driver after he abused him.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/warne-is-the-greatest-ever-to-play-under-his-shadow-is-privilege-says-veteran-spinner-nathan-lyon-759021">‘Warne is the greatest ever, to play under his shadow is privilege’, says veteran spinner Nathan Lyon</a>

Starting by calling him passionate about what he does, Aakash soon jumped onto revealing what happened on the Delhi roads one day when Gambhir lost his cool.

"Passionate guy. Very hardworking when it comes to his craft. A bit serious but scored a lot of runs. He always wore his heart on the sleeve. Temperament-wise, he can be very short-fused. But everyone has a different character.

"Gautam is someone who once fought with a truck driver in Delhi. He got out of his car and climbed the truck to grab the collar of the driver because he made a wrong turn and was abusing. I was like, ‘Gauti, what are you doing?’ So that's made him Gautam," Chopra said.&nbsp;

<h2>When Virat and Gautam fought on field</h2>

The two best Indian batters since 2000, Gautam and Virat, belong to Delhi and, surprisingly, have a history of getting involved in verbal volleys on the ground.&nbsp;

While the first recorded instance came during the 2013 IPL edition, when Kohli (playing for RCB) and Gambhir (KKR’s captain) had a go at each other, only for others to interfere and separate them immediately, the second came most recently during the 2022 edition, when both got into a heated argument.

Although both have maintained peace with that since Gambhir recently replaced Rahul Dravid as India’s new head coach. He began his three-and-a-half-year stint with the away Sri Lanka series, where India won the T20Is but lost the ODIs for the first time since 1997.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Gautam is overseeing the Indian Test squad, assembled in Chennai, the venue for the first Test against Bangladesh starting September 19. Kanpur will cap off the two-match Test series with the second Test beginning September 27.&nbsp;

Kohli and Gambhir were snapped having discussions in the training.

(With inputs from agencies)

Newly-appointed Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is known for wearing his heart on his sleeves. Besides his accolades as a top-order batter, where he won two World Cups (T20 and ODI), Gambhir was also famous for his well-documented on-field altercations.

Newly-appointed Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is known for wearing his heart on his sleeves. Besides his accolades as a top-order batter, where he won two World Cups (T20 and ODI), Gambhir was also famous for his well-documented on-field altercations. However, his former Delhi teammate and now a well-renowned commentator, Aakash Chopra, revealed an instance when Gambhir got into an altercation with a truck driver early into his career, leading to Gambhir climbing up the truck and grabbing his collar. In a recent podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Aakash recalled this one intriguing anecdote where Gambhir took matters into his own hands and went after a truck driver after he abused him. ALSO READ: ‘Warne is the greatest ever, to play under his shadow is privilege’, says veteran spinner Nathan Lyon Starting by calling him passionate about what he does, Aakash soon jumped onto revealing what happened on the Delhi roads one day when Gambhir lost his cool. "Passionate guy. Very hardworking when it comes to his craft. A bit serious but scored a lot of runs. He always wore his heart on the sleeve. Temperament-wise, he can be very short-fused. But everyone has a different character. "Gautam is someone who once fought with a truck driver in Delhi. He got out of his car and climbed the truck to grab the collar of the driver because he made a wrong turn and was abusing. I was like, ‘Gauti, what are you doing?’ So that's made him Gautam," Chopra said. When Virat and Gautam fought on field The two best Indian batters since 2000, Gautam and Virat, belong to Delhi and, surprisingly, have a history of getting involved in verbal volleys on the ground. While the first recorded instance came during the 2013 IPL edition, when Kohli (playing for RCB) and Gambhir (KKR’s captain) had a go at each other, only for others to interfere and separate them immediately, the second came most recently during the 2022 edition, when both got into a heated argument. Although both have maintained peace with that since Gambhir recently replaced Rahul Dravid as India’s new head coach. He began his three-and-a-half-year stint with the away Sri Lanka series, where India won the T20Is but lost the ODIs for the first time since 1997. Meanwhile, Gautam is overseeing the Indian Test squad, assembled in Chennai, the venue for the first Test against Bangladesh starting September 19. Kanpur will cap off the two-match Test series with the second Test beginning September 27. Kohli and Gambhir were snapped having discussions in the training. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Gauti, what are you doing?’ – Aakash Chopra shares anecdote when Gambhir grabbed truck driver’s collar

On Tuesday (June 19), a video went viral where Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was abused by a fan. At first, Rauf thought the fan was an Indian, however, he claimed to be a Pakistani. Rauf lost his cool at the abusive words thrown at him by the fan, who was upset with Pakistan's early exit from the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. The video of the incident went viral as the speedster was also seen charging at the fan for making personal comments,&nbsp;before being&nbsp;stopped by others and his wife.&nbsp;

Many cricketers have reacted to Rauf's altercation with the fan. Now, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra also joined the bandwagon.

On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "I have seen the clip. I am not sure how much edited or how true it is. I will only say that a player tries to give his best and even if he is unable to do well, whether it's Haris Rauf or Virat Kohli or Steve Smith, we don't need personal comments. Don't target their family."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/apologise-or-face-action-pakistan-cricket-board-threatens-fan-involved-in-altercation-with-haris-rauf-732935">'Apologise or face action': Pakistan Cricket Board threatens fan involved in altercation with Haris Rauf</a>

He added, "It's expected that you will be well-mannered enough that you won't do it in front of the player. You did it digitally as well, that's also not good. I request you with folded hands that everyone's families should be spared. If you are heartbroken because you have invested in the team or the player, you can criticize but use the language that you can use with your family."

<h2>'I WILL NOT HESITATE TO RESPOND ACCORDINGLY'</h2>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/KuUSZWoDaq">pic.twitter.com/KuUSZWoDaq</a>
— Haris Rauf (@HarisRauf14) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarisRauf14/status/1803025969902424204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

After his altercation made heads turn, Rauf also took to his official account on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, "I decided to not bring this on social media, but now that the video is out, I feel it is necessary to address the situation."

He added, "As public figures, we are open to receiving all kinds of feedback from the public. They are entitled to support or criticize us. Nevertheless, when it comes to my parent and my family, I will not hesitate to respond accordingly. “It is important to show respect towards people and their families, irrespective of their professions."

Rauf claimed seven wickets in four games in what was a forgettable T20 WC campaign for Babar Azam-led Pakistan. They bowed out with wins over Canada and Ireland, after having lost to USA and India.&nbsp;

On Tuesday (June 19), a video went viral where Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was abused by a fan. At first, Rauf thought the fan was an Indian, however, he claimed to be a Pakistani.

On Tuesday (June 19), a video went viral where Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was abused by a fan. At first, Rauf thought the fan was an Indian, however, he claimed to be a Pakistani. Rauf lost his cool at the abusive words thrown at him by the fan, who was upset with Pakistan's early exit from the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. The video of the incident went viral as the speedster was also seen charging at the fan for making personal comments, before being stopped by others and his wife. Many cricketers have reacted to Rauf's altercation with the fan. Now, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra also joined the bandwagon. On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "I have seen the clip. I am not sure how much edited or how true it is. I will only say that a player tries to give his best and even if he is unable to do well, whether it's Haris Rauf or Virat Kohli or Steve Smith, we don't need personal comments. Don't target their family." Also read: 'Apologise or face action': Pakistan Cricket Board threatens fan involved in altercation with Haris Rauf He added, "It's expected that you will be well-mannered enough that you won't do it in front of the player. You did it digitally as well, that's also not good. I request you with folded hands that everyone's families should be spared. If you are heartbroken because you have invested in the team or the player, you can criticize but use the language that you can use with your family." 'I WILL NOT HESITATE TO RESPOND ACCORDINGLY' pic.twitter.com/KuUSZWoDaq — Haris Rauf (@HarisRauf14) June 18, 2024 × After his altercation made heads turn, Rauf also took to his official account on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, "I decided to not bring this on social media, but now that the video is out, I feel it is necessary to address the situation." He added, "As public figures, we are open to receiving all kinds of feedback from the public. They are entitled to support or criticize us. Nevertheless, when it comes to my parent and my family, I will not hesitate to respond accordingly. “It is important to show respect towards people and their families, irrespective of their professions." Rauf claimed seven wickets in four games in what was a forgettable T20 WC campaign for Babar Azam-led Pakistan. They bowed out with wins over Canada and Ireland, after having lost to USA and India.

'We don't need personal comments': Former Indian opener on Pakistani fan abusing Haris Rauf

India are gearing up for their T20 World Cup 2024 opener, where they will take on Ireland&nbsp;at the Nassau County Cricket Ground in New York on Wednesday (June 5). Ahead of the start of the&nbsp;tournament, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra&nbsp;issued a stern warning for the one-time winners and questioned the team's preparations and tactics. Chopra pointed fingers at captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for being away from the shortest format for 14 months, following the last edition in Australia in late 2022, and even questioned the team's&nbsp;lack of role clarity.&nbsp;

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned why India are still figuring out their playing XI. He further stated that every player should have known their respective roles before the tournament and not at the start of it.

<h2>'Shouldn't it be ideal that we should have known the opening combination by now?'</h2>

Chopra stated, "Are India underprepared for yet another T20 World Cup? Aren't we still figuring out our batting line-up? Who is the opener and the finisher? Should we get to know all these only in the World Cup? Yes, India like a left-right combination, but are almost certain to go with two right-handers: Rohit and Kohli. Rishabh Pant will likely bat at No. 3, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, and their dismissals will depend on whether India will next send Shivam Dube or Hardik Pandya. Then Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. There are a lot of left-handers. But my question remains, why are we getting to know about this now? Shouldn't it be ideal that we should have known the opening combination by now?"

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/t20-wc-virat-kohli-headlines-indias-intense-training-session-ahead-of-ireland-clash-watch-728602">T20 WC: Virat Kohli headlines India's intense training session ahead of Ireland clash - Watch</a>

He further added, "Since the end of the last T20 World Cup in 2022, we have been playing with almost the same XI and the same batting order. So, what have we changed? And the roles that have changed, none were informed about it. It's not ideal. And it is because none of the senior players played since the last World Cup. I strongly feel we lack proper preparation. We are still trying to address it. We do have individual brilliance, but what happened last times was that we created a scene around the opening position. Between the World Cup in the UAE and Australia, we tried so many options for the opening role, including Suryakumar Yadav. But eventually, we opened with Rohit and Rahul, Kohli at 3...absolutely no use. That came back to haunt us. It's an early warning, but we haven't prepared well."

India head into the T20 WC with only one warm-up game since arriving in the United States, co-hosts of the mega event along with West Indies. India played Bangladesh in the warm-up encounter and came with a different batting line-up. It remains to be seen who will be India's openers in their first game, versus Ireland. Moreover, it also remains to be seen if Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal will get a look-in. Thus, India have a lot of questions before their tournament opener, on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The 2007 winners are placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, USA and Canada.&nbsp;

India are gearing up for their T20 World Cup 2024 opener, where they will take on Ireland at the Nassau County Cricket Ground in New York on Wednesday (June 5). Ahead of the start of the tournament, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra issued a stern warning for the one-time winners and questioned the team's preparations and tactics.

India are gearing up for their T20 World Cup 2024 opener, where they will take on Ireland at the Nassau County Cricket Ground in New York on Wednesday (June 5). Ahead of the start of the tournament, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra issued a stern warning for the one-time winners and questioned the team's preparations and tactics. Chopra pointed fingers at captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for being away from the shortest format for 14 months, following the last edition in Australia in late 2022, and even questioned the team's lack of role clarity. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned why India are still figuring out their playing XI. He further stated that every player should have known their respective roles before the tournament and not at the start of it. 'Shouldn't it be ideal that we should have known the opening combination by now?' Chopra stated, "Are India underprepared for yet another T20 World Cup? Aren't we still figuring out our batting line-up? Who is the opener and the finisher? Should we get to know all these only in the World Cup? Yes, India like a left-right combination, but are almost certain to go with two right-handers: Rohit and Kohli. Rishabh Pant will likely bat at No. 3, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, and their dismissals will depend on whether India will next send Shivam Dube or Hardik Pandya. Then Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. There are a lot of left-handers. But my question remains, why are we getting to know about this now? Shouldn't it be ideal that we should have known the opening combination by now?" Also read: T20 WC: Virat Kohli headlines India's intense training session ahead of Ireland clash - Watch He further added, "Since the end of the last T20 World Cup in 2022, we have been playing with almost the same XI and the same batting order. So, what have we changed? And the roles that have changed, none were informed about it. It's not ideal. And it is because none of the senior players played since the last World Cup. I strongly feel we lack proper preparation. We are still trying to address it. We do have individual brilliance, but what happened last times was that we created a scene around the opening position. Between the World Cup in the UAE and Australia, we tried so many options for the opening role, including Suryakumar Yadav. But eventually, we opened with Rohit and Rahul, Kohli at 3...absolutely no use. That came back to haunt us. It's an early warning, but we haven't prepared well." India head into the T20 WC with only one warm-up game since arriving in the United States, co-hosts of the mega event along with West Indies. India played Bangladesh in the warm-up encounter and came with a different batting line-up. It remains to be seen who will be India's openers in their first game, versus Ireland. Moreover, it also remains to be seen if Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal will get a look-in. Thus, India have a lot of questions before their tournament opener, on Wednesday. The 2007 winners are placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, USA and Canada.

'Are India underprepared for yet another T20 WC?': Former Indian opener issues warning to Rohit Sharma & Co

IPL 2024 is set to kick off on March 22 (Friday) with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru&nbsp;(RCB) in Chennai. While there is a lot of buzz on MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli's return to action, there are eyes on Hardik Pandya and how he will do as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant's comeback is also generating a lot of noise.

Pant is returning to competitive cricket after a 14-month gap, post his horrific car crash in December 2022. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra opened up on Pant's return, who will be captaining the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming season. Chopra stated that while emotions are high among the public to see Pant's return, he also stresses on how it might be difficult for him to get going after a long gap. The keeper-batter's form will be crucial as if he succeeds in IPL 2024, he will also be in the running to &nbsp;feature in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad (which commences soon after the IPL in West Indies and USA).

On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "Opportunities are absolutely plenty. Our emotional quotient has gone very high for Rishabh Pant. We are all waiting for Rishabh Pant to come, hit and shine. Everyone has even started talking about the T20 World Cup, that he will reach there if he scores runs."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-former-aussie-spinner-backs-dc-batter-prithvi-shaw-to-return-to-form-under-ricky-ponting-702278">IPL 2024: Former Aussie spinner backs DC batter Prithvi Shaw to return to form under Ricky Ponting</a>

"At the moment, we are riding high on emotion because we all love him so much. However, he will go to the ground after a long time. 14 months is a long time. So it's a big opportunity to see how he will play, that will we see the old Rishabh Pant," Chopra added.

On Tuesday (March 19), Pant was officially confirmed to lead Delhi in the upcoming season. The one-time finalists will open their campaign on March 23, versus hosts Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali.

Squad: Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Shai Hope, &nbsp;Prithvi Shaw, Harry Brook, Yash Dhull, Swastik Chikara, David Warner, &nbsp;Pravin Dubey, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Sumit Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Salem

IPL 2024 is set to kick off on March 22 (Friday) with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai. While there is a lot of buzz on MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli's return to action, there are eyes on Hardik Pandya and how he will do as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain.

IPL 2024 is set to kick off on March 22 (Friday) with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai. While there is a lot of buzz on MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli's return to action, there are eyes on Hardik Pandya and how he will do as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant's comeback is also generating a lot of noise. Pant is returning to competitive cricket after a 14-month gap, post his horrific car crash in December 2022. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra opened up on Pant's return, who will be captaining the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming season. Chopra stated that while emotions are high among the public to see Pant's return, he also stresses on how it might be difficult for him to get going after a long gap. The keeper-batter's form will be crucial as if he succeeds in IPL 2024, he will also be in the running to feature in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad (which commences soon after the IPL in West Indies and USA). On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "Opportunities are absolutely plenty. Our emotional quotient has gone very high for Rishabh Pant. We are all waiting for Rishabh Pant to come, hit and shine. Everyone has even started talking about the T20 World Cup, that he will reach there if he scores runs." Also read: IPL 2024: Former Aussie spinner backs DC batter Prithvi Shaw to return to form under Ricky Ponting "At the moment, we are riding high on emotion because we all love him so much. However, he will go to the ground after a long time. 14 months is a long time. So it's a big opportunity to see how he will play, that will we see the old Rishabh Pant," Chopra added. On Tuesday (March 19), Pant was officially confirmed to lead Delhi in the upcoming season. The one-time finalists will open their campaign on March 23, versus hosts Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali. Squad: Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Harry Brook, Yash Dhull, Swastik Chikara, David Warner, Pravin Dubey, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Sumit Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Salem

IPL 2024: Former Indian opener stresses on difficulties comeback man Rishabh Pant might face

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has slammed the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team management for appointing Pat Cummins as the new captain for IPL 2024. On Monday (March 4), the SRH camp announced Cummins taking over as the new skipper, replacing Aiden Markram. Cummins, who was bought by the franchise in IPL 2024 mini-auction for INR 20.50 crores, doesn't have great numbers in the IPL and isn't even Australia's captain in T20Is. Hence, his appointment hasn't been well received by Chopra.&nbsp;

<h2>'That is why Pat Cummins is not the captain of the team where 11 Australians play'</h2>

Talking on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out, "You have made Pat Cummins the captain but have you seen his recent IPL numbers? Check attentively, he concedes a lot of runs and doesn't score that many runs with the bat. Only four overseas players play. He neither bowls in the powerplay nor at the death."

"If he is not going to do all those jobs, you are spending 25 per cent of your overseas resources on a player whose place in the XI was not 100 per cent guaranteed in the IPL. That is why Pat Cummins is not the captain of the team where 11 Australians play, although he has won the World Cup, but not T20," Chopra opined.

Chopra's claims are not incorrect, Cummins has an ordinary record in the IPL. The Aussie has only 45 wickets in 42 games, at an economy of 8.54,&nbsp;along with 379 runs. He withdrew from the IPL 2023 season and featured in only 12 matches in 2021 and 2022 editions; managing 16 wickets and 122 runs overall. For Australia, he has played only two T20Is since the 2022 T20 World Cup. Hence, Australia have Mitchell Marsh as their T20I captain despite Cummins winning the WTC and ODI World Cup titles as captain last year.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-odi-world-cup-winning-captain-pat-cummins-named-sunrisers-hyderabad-skipper-696341">IPL 2024: ODI World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins named Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper</a>

SRH removed Markram as the captain, who led them in IPL 2023. The South African batter, however, has&nbsp;led the Sunrisers Eastern Cape -- Hyderabad's sister franchise in SA20 -- to two successive titles (in 2023 and 2024). Chopra further stated that Markram could have retained his position as he had led the franchise amid a lot of confusion in the last IPL season.

Chopra added, "There is a player named Aiden Markram who benefited the SunRisers franchise a lot. He made the SunRisers Eastern Cape the champions for two successive years in the SA20 league. However, he has been removed from the captaincy here. He captained one year in total where I felt there was a lot of confusion."

SRH squad for IPL 2024:&nbsp;Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Heinrich Klaasen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, T. Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav, Umran Malik, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins (c), Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan.&nbsp;

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has slammed the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team management for appointing Pat Cummins as the new captain for IPL 2024. On Monday (March 4), the SRH camp announced Cummins taking over as the new skipper, replacing Aiden Markram.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has slammed the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team management for appointing Pat Cummins as the new captain for IPL 2024. On Monday (March 4), the SRH camp announced Cummins taking over as the new skipper, replacing Aiden Markram. Cummins, who was bought by the franchise in IPL 2024 mini-auction for INR 20.50 crores, doesn't have great numbers in the IPL and isn't even Australia's captain in T20Is. Hence, his appointment hasn't been well received by Chopra. 'That is why Pat Cummins is not the captain of the team where 11 Australians play' Talking on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out, "You have made Pat Cummins the captain but have you seen his recent IPL numbers? Check attentively, he concedes a lot of runs and doesn't score that many runs with the bat. Only four overseas players play. He neither bowls in the powerplay nor at the death." "If he is not going to do all those jobs, you are spending 25 per cent of your overseas resources on a player whose place in the XI was not 100 per cent guaranteed in the IPL. That is why Pat Cummins is not the captain of the team where 11 Australians play, although he has won the World Cup, but not T20," Chopra opined. Chopra's claims are not incorrect, Cummins has an ordinary record in the IPL. The Aussie has only 45 wickets in 42 games, at an economy of 8.54, along with 379 runs. He withdrew from the IPL 2023 season and featured in only 12 matches in 2021 and 2022 editions; managing 16 wickets and 122 runs overall. For Australia, he has played only two T20Is since the 2022 T20 World Cup. Hence, Australia have Mitchell Marsh as their T20I captain despite Cummins winning the WTC and ODI World Cup titles as captain last year. Also read: IPL 2024: ODI World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins named Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper SRH removed Markram as the captain, who led them in IPL 2023. The South African batter, however, has led the Sunrisers Eastern Cape -- Hyderabad's sister franchise in SA20 -- to two successive titles (in 2023 and 2024). Chopra further stated that Markram could have retained his position as he had led the franchise amid a lot of confusion in the last IPL season. Chopra added, "There is a player named Aiden Markram who benefited the SunRisers franchise a lot. He made the SunRisers Eastern Cape the champions for two successive years in the SA20 league. However, he has been removed from the captaincy here. He captained one year in total where I felt there was a lot of confusion." SRH squad for IPL 2024: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Heinrich Klaasen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, T. Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav, Umran Malik, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins (c), Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan.

‘You have made Pat Cummins...’: Aakash Chopra slams SRH over captaincy change before IPL 2024

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has slammed England batter Joe Root following his low returns in the second Test versus India in Visakhapatnam. Root ended with scores of 5 and 16 in the two innings and was criticised for playing too many shots in England's unsuccessful 399-run chase. Chopra feels England batters did not apply themselves as the target could have been achieved with one more day's play left.

England started the run-chase at the fag end of Day 3 and got dismissed in 69.2 overs right before the tea break on Day 4. Thus, they had more than a day's play left and could have achieved the target with more application and bigger contributions from Root, captain Ben Stokes and the likes. Zak Crawley (73) ended as the top run-getter whereas many others got starts but perished playing too many shots.&nbsp;

Chopra slammed Root and the likes and said on his YouTube channel, "The English batters need to think about something. The shot Root played, if he hadn't played that bad shot and Stokes hadn't run like that, the runs would have been scored on the last day as well. It wasn't easy to pick up 10 wickets here."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/new-zealand-skipper-kane-williamson-scores-record-twin-hundreds-in-first-test-against-south-africa-687425">New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson scores record twin hundreds in first Test against South Africa</a>

He added, "Thank you so much, England guys. You did our job or else we wouldn't have been able to get them out that easily. I think Root is selling himself really short. Ben Stokes, firstly, bats too low in the order, which is counterproductive. Secondly, the way he ran, that was lazy in capital letters."

Root has not got going in the series so far. Stokes, who has a 70 and handy 47 under his belt, was found short of his crease in England's run-chase as he fell for a sedate 29-ball 11. The English batters will take note of their dismissals and will be eager to put a heavier price on their wicket in the remaining three Tests.&nbsp;

The five-match Test series is interestingly poised at 1-1.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has slammed England batter Joe Root following his low returns in the second Test versus India in Visakhapatnam. Root ended with scores of 5 and 16 in the two innings and was criticised for playing too many shots in England's unsuccessful 399-run chase.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has slammed England batter Joe Root following his low returns in the second Test versus India in Visakhapatnam. Root ended with scores of 5 and 16 in the two innings and was criticised for playing too many shots in England's unsuccessful 399-run chase. Chopra feels England batters did not apply themselves as the target could have been achieved with one more day's play left. England started the run-chase at the fag end of Day 3 and got dismissed in 69.2 overs right before the tea break on Day 4. Thus, they had more than a day's play left and could have achieved the target with more application and bigger contributions from Root, captain Ben Stokes and the likes. Zak Crawley (73) ended as the top run-getter whereas many others got starts but perished playing too many shots. Chopra slammed Root and the likes and said on his YouTube channel, "The English batters need to think about something. The shot Root played, if he hadn't played that bad shot and Stokes hadn't run like that, the runs would have been scored on the last day as well. It wasn't easy to pick up 10 wickets here." Also read: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson scores record twin hundreds in first Test against South Africa He added, "Thank you so much, England guys. You did our job or else we wouldn't have been able to get them out that easily. I think Root is selling himself really short. Ben Stokes, firstly, bats too low in the order, which is counterproductive. Secondly, the way he ran, that was lazy in capital letters." Root has not got going in the series so far. Stokes, who has a 70 and handy 47 under his belt, was found short of his crease in England's run-chase as he fell for a sedate 29-ball 11. The English batters will take note of their dismissals and will be eager to put a heavier price on their wicket in the remaining three Tests. The five-match Test series is interestingly poised at 1-1.

Joe Root is selling himself really short: Former Indian opener unimpressed with Englishman after 2nd Test

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has cautioned India against preparing a rank-turner for the second Test versus England, which gets underway on Friday (Feb 2) in Visakhapatnam. Chopra feels a rank-turner can backfire as many of the Indian batters are out of form. The likes of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have been without big knocks for quite sometime and, hence, the former cricketer has advised India to not bank on spin-heavy track for a comeback in the series after losing the Hyderabad Test by 28 runs.&nbsp;

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined, "There is a problem with self-doubt. If we prepare a good pitch, they [England] play better than us. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are in poor form. We do not have Rahul. Virat Kohli was already absent. Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder is also not there. Suddenly, you are stuck."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/under-virat-kohlis-captaincy-india-would-not-have-lost-hyderabad-test-to-england-vaughans-bold-claim-685433">Under Virat Kohli's captaincy, India would not have lost Hyderabad Test to England - Vaughan's BOLD claim</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/teams-with-most-test-wins-in-india-684840/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Chopra added, "I feel they should play on a good pitch. Don't get overexcited and go for a turning pitch. Your batters do not have form. In such a situation, the spinners of both sides become equally effective. They do not have accuracy, but how does it matter? Tom Hartley begins bowling like Bishan Bedi and Joe Root becomes Muttiah Muralitharan."

To add to India's woes, Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. will be without the likes of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul for the second Test. While Kohli is out of action till the second Test, due to personal reasons, Rahul and Jadeja have been ruled out due to injury concerns for the upcoming Test in Vizag.&nbsp;

Talking about the first Test, in Hyderabad, India conceded the game despite a 190-run lead. Pope (196) and debutant spinner Tom Hartley (7 for 62) starred for England in the second innings to stage a remarkable comeback for the visitors.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has cautioned India against preparing a rank-turner for the second Test versus England, which gets underway on Friday (Feb 2) in Visakhapatnam.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has cautioned India against preparing a rank-turner for the second Test versus England, which gets underway on Friday (Feb 2) in Visakhapatnam. Chopra feels a rank-turner can backfire as many of the Indian batters are out of form. The likes of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have been without big knocks for quite sometime and, hence, the former cricketer has advised India to not bank on spin-heavy track for a comeback in the series after losing the Hyderabad Test by 28 runs. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined, "There is a problem with self-doubt. If we prepare a good pitch, they [England] play better than us. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are in poor form. We do not have Rahul. Virat Kohli was already absent. Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder is also not there. Suddenly, you are stuck." Also read: Under Virat Kohli's captaincy, India would not have lost Hyderabad Test to England - Vaughan's BOLD claim × × Chopra added, "I feel they should play on a good pitch. Don't get overexcited and go for a turning pitch. Your batters do not have form. In such a situation, the spinners of both sides become equally effective. They do not have accuracy, but how does it matter? Tom Hartley begins bowling like Bishan Bedi and Joe Root becomes Muttiah Muralitharan." To add to India's woes, Rohit Sharma & Co. will be without the likes of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul for the second Test. While Kohli is out of action till the second Test, due to personal reasons, Rahul and Jadeja have been ruled out due to injury concerns for the upcoming Test in Vizag. Talking about the first Test, in Hyderabad, India conceded the game despite a 190-run lead. Pope (196) and debutant spinner Tom Hartley (7 for 62) starred for England in the second innings to stage a remarkable comeback for the visitors.

Root can become Muralitharan: Aakash Chopra urges India to not prepare rank-turner for 2nd Test vs England

On Monday (Jan 29), India were dealt a huge blow when all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and versatile batter KL Rahul got ruled out of the second Test versus England, in Visakhapatnam, due to injury concerns. Following India's shocking 28-run loss in the first Test in Hyderabad, Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. have now lost two experienced campaigners for the upcoming Test of the five-match series. Thus, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named three players as replacements for Rahul and Jadeja and added Sarfaraz Khan.

Sarfaraz, along with&nbsp;spinner Sourabh Kumar and all-rounder Washington Sundar, has been added to India's squad. Ahead of the second Test, which gets underway on Friday (Feb 2), former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra feels Sarfaraz should make his debut in Vizag and replace injured Rahul in the playing XI.&nbsp;

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar are available with this team. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli are still not there.They will have to play either Rajat Patidar or Sarfaraz. You can go towards Sarfaraz because he can play in an unorthodox fashion and is a very good player of spin."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/if-they-need-only-one-pacer-then-having-kuldeep-will-help-kumble-on-indias-xi-for-2nd-test-vs-england-685045">If they need only one pacer, then having Kuldeep will help: Kumble on India's XI for 2nd Test vs England</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/teams-with-most-test-wins-in-india-684840/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Sarfaraz's omission has made news in the recent past. Having scored a plethora of runs in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, the attacking right-hander will look to make a mark if given a chance in Vizag.&nbsp;

Chopra also opined on Rahul's frequent injuries. He added, "This has been the biggest problem in KL Rahul's career. Injuries or illnesses have come at the wrong time and they have come many a time. The way he played in the first innings, and to be fair, he was batting assuredly in the second innings as well. There are very few people in our team who play the sweep. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul play the sweep, and KL Rahul will now not be there in this game."

Rahul returned with an impressive 86 and 22 in the Hyderabad Test. He will now look to regain full fitness as India already trail the five-match series 0-1 after the Hyderabad encounter.

India&nbsp;aquad for the 2nd&nbsp;Test vs England:&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar

On Monday (Jan 29), India were dealt a huge blow when all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and versatile batter KL Rahul got ruled out of the second Test versus England, in Visakhapatnam, due to injury concerns.

On Monday (Jan 29), India were dealt a huge blow when all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and versatile batter KL Rahul got ruled out of the second Test versus England, in Visakhapatnam, due to injury concerns. Following India's shocking 28-run loss in the first Test in Hyderabad, Rohit Sharma & Co. have now lost two experienced campaigners for the upcoming Test of the five-match series. Thus, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named three players as replacements for Rahul and Jadeja and added Sarfaraz Khan. Sarfaraz, along with spinner Sourabh Kumar and all-rounder Washington Sundar, has been added to India's squad. Ahead of the second Test, which gets underway on Friday (Feb 2), former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra feels Sarfaraz should make his debut in Vizag and replace injured Rahul in the playing XI. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar are available with this team. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli are still not there.They will have to play either Rajat Patidar or Sarfaraz. You can go towards Sarfaraz because he can play in an unorthodox fashion and is a very good player of spin." Also read: If they need only one pacer, then having Kuldeep will help: Kumble on India's XI for 2nd Test vs England × × Sarfaraz's omission has made news in the recent past. Having scored a plethora of runs in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, the attacking right-hander will look to make a mark if given a chance in Vizag. Chopra also opined on Rahul's frequent injuries. He added, "This has been the biggest problem in KL Rahul's career. Injuries or illnesses have come at the wrong time and they have come many a time. The way he played in the first innings, and to be fair, he was batting assuredly in the second innings as well. There are very few people in our team who play the sweep. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul play the sweep, and KL Rahul will now not be there in this game." Rahul returned with an impressive 86 and 22 in the Hyderabad Test. He will now look to regain full fitness as India already trail the five-match series 0-1 after the Hyderabad encounter. India aquad for the 2nd Test vs England: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar

Ind vs Eng, 2nd Test: Former Indian opener backs 'unorthodox' batter Sarfaraz Khan to replace KL Rahul

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels it will be incorrect to judge Sanju Samson based on only one game if the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team management include him in Men in Blue's third and final T20I versus Afghanistan, on Wednesday (Jan 17) in Bengaluru. Samson didn't feature in India's opening two T20Is versus the Afghans as Jitesh Sharma was preferred for the keeper-batter's role. Jitesh scored a vital 31 not out in the first game but fell for a duck in the next outing.&nbsp;

While few former cricketers have been impressed with Jitesh, one can certainly say that he has not cemented his place in the T20I setup heading into this year's T20 World Cup. The mega event will be held in West Indies and USA in June and the third T20I versus Afghanistan is India's last game prior to the World Cup. With the series already in their pocket, India might consider playing Samson in place of Jitesh or accommodate both. But, Chopra feels that even if Samson plays it will be incorrect to judge him on one game.&nbsp;

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "The question is whether you should keep Jitesh or Sanju at No. 6. If Jitesh had cemented his place totally, if there hadn't been a question mark at all in front of Jitesh's name, that he is definitely going to the World Cup, you could have thought about Sanju. However, Jitesh is not confirmed yet."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nz-vs-pak-finn-allen-runs-riot-in-dunedin-with-record-breaking-innings-as-kiwis-crush-pakistan-to-win-series-680685">NZ vs PAK: Finn Allen runs riot in Dunedin with record-breaking inning as Kiwis crush Pakistan to win series</a>

He added, "There is a flip side to that as well. Assuming you play Sanju, will you judge him with one match? It's incorrect. Whoever you try, give him three chances at least. This is what has happened with Sanju throughout his career."

Samson's last game for India came during the third and final ODI versus South Africa, in the African nation, last month. In the series decider, Samson struck his maiden ODI ton. However, he was not played a T20I since India's Ireland tour in mid-August 2023. It will be interesting to see if he gets a look-in during the final T20I versus Afghanistan. Surely, the BCCI selectors will keep an eye on his form during IPL 2024, where he is set to once again lead the Rajasthan Royals (RR).&nbsp;

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels it will be incorrect to judge Sanju Samson based on only one game if the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team management include him in Men in Blue's third and final T20I versus Afghanistan, on Wednesday (Jan 17) in Bengaluru.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels it will be incorrect to judge Sanju Samson based on only one game if the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team management include him in Men in Blue's third and final T20I versus Afghanistan, on Wednesday (Jan 17) in Bengaluru. Samson didn't feature in India's opening two T20Is versus the Afghans as Jitesh Sharma was preferred for the keeper-batter's role. Jitesh scored a vital 31 not out in the first game but fell for a duck in the next outing. While few former cricketers have been impressed with Jitesh, one can certainly say that he has not cemented his place in the T20I setup heading into this year's T20 World Cup. The mega event will be held in West Indies and USA in June and the third T20I versus Afghanistan is India's last game prior to the World Cup. With the series already in their pocket, India might consider playing Samson in place of Jitesh or accommodate both. But, Chopra feels that even if Samson plays it will be incorrect to judge him on one game. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "The question is whether you should keep Jitesh or Sanju at No. 6. If Jitesh had cemented his place totally, if there hadn't been a question mark at all in front of Jitesh's name, that he is definitely going to the World Cup, you could have thought about Sanju. However, Jitesh is not confirmed yet." Also read: NZ vs PAK: Finn Allen runs riot in Dunedin with record-breaking inning as Kiwis crush Pakistan to win series He added, "There is a flip side to that as well. Assuming you play Sanju, will you judge him with one match? It's incorrect. Whoever you try, give him three chances at least. This is what has happened with Sanju throughout his career." Samson's last game for India came during the third and final ODI versus South Africa, in the African nation, last month. In the series decider, Samson struck his maiden ODI ton. However, he was not played a T20I since India's Ireland tour in mid-August 2023. It will be interesting to see if he gets a look-in during the final T20I versus Afghanistan. Surely, the BCCI selectors will keep an eye on his form during IPL 2024, where he is set to once again lead the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Ind vs Afg, 3rd T20I: Incorrect to judge Sanju Samson on just one match, feels former Indian opener

Former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has lavished huge praise on Rishabh Pant, who is still recovering from the injuries he sustained in a car crash in late 2022. Chopra feels Pant is a game-changer and a '24-carot gold' in Test cricket and can be the next captain in whites after Rohit Sharma decides to step aside. The former cricketer also nominated Shubman Gill. India's next Test assignment is a two-match Test series in South Africa&nbsp;

Aakash Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel, "I am talking about extremely long-term, it could be Shubman Gill. I am not talking about now, I am talking about the distant future. It could be Rishabh Pant. Rishabh Pant as a Test cricketer is 24-carat gold."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/didnt-remove-virat-kohli-from-captaincy-former-indian-skipper-sourav-ganguly-recalls-past-controversy-666465">'Didn't remove Virat Kohli from captaincy': Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly recalls past controversy</a>

"So he could also be the one. He is a game-changer. So I will look towards one of these two once Rohit says he is done with Test cricket and that you can appoint someone else as the skipper," Chopra added.

Talking about Gill, the right-hander has been in sublime form across formats in 2023. In Tests, he has played 18 Tests and has&nbsp;966 runs at an average of&nbsp;32.20 including two hundreds and four fifties. He will lead the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2024 after Hardik Pandya's switch to the Mumbai Indians (MI). Meanwhile, the 26-year-old has made a solid mark in the longest format, scoring 2,271 runs in 33 Tests an an average of&nbsp;43.67 with five centuries and 11 half-centuries. Moreover, his wicketkeeping has also improved in the recent past. Talking about leadership experience, Pant has led India in five T20Is and is also the captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL.

Former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has lavished huge praise on Rishabh Pant, who is still recovering from the injuries he sustained in a car crash in late 2022.

Former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has lavished huge praise on Rishabh Pant, who is still recovering from the injuries he sustained in a car crash in late 2022. Chopra feels Pant is a game-changer and a '24-carot gold' in Test cricket and can be the next captain in whites after Rohit Sharma decides to step aside. The former cricketer also nominated Shubman Gill. India's next Test assignment is a two-match Test series in South Africa Aakash Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel, "I am talking about extremely long-term, it could be Shubman Gill. I am not talking about now, I am talking about the distant future. It could be Rishabh Pant. Rishabh Pant as a Test cricketer is 24-carat gold." Also read: 'Didn't remove Virat Kohli from captaincy': Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly recalls past controversy "So he could also be the one. He is a game-changer. So I will look towards one of these two once Rohit says he is done with Test cricket and that you can appoint someone else as the skipper," Chopra added. Talking about Gill, the right-hander has been in sublime form across formats in 2023. In Tests, he has played 18 Tests and has 966 runs at an average of 32.20 including two hundreds and four fifties. He will lead the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2024 after Hardik Pandya's switch to the Mumbai Indians (MI). Meanwhile, the 26-year-old has made a solid mark in the longest format, scoring 2,271 runs in 33 Tests an an average of 43.67 with five centuries and 11 half-centuries. Moreover, his wicketkeeping has also improved in the recent past. Talking about leadership experience, Pant has led India in five T20Is and is also the captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL.

Former Indian opener predicts next Test captain after Rohit Sharma

India wrapped up the home five-match T20I series by winning the final game by six runs at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (Dec 3). Having already won the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead after the fourth T20I, Suryakumar Yadav-led India beat Matthew Wade's Australia by a whisker in defence of 160/8.

Being asked to bat first, India rode on Shreyas Iyer's 53 and vital runs from Jitesh Sharma and Axar Patel to post 160/8. In reply,&nbsp;Ben McDermott top-scored for the Aussies with a fine 54 but it was not enough.&nbsp;Arshdeep Singh defended 10 runs in the last over, with visitors managing&nbsp;154/8,&nbsp;to take his side to a 4-1 series triumph. After the series, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra opined on India's performance and made a big claim with regard to the Men in Blue's potential squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, in West Indies and USA.

Chopra feels there might be a toss-up between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill for India's T20 WC squad. Gaikwad ended as the top-scorer in the five T20Is, scoring&nbsp;223 runs&nbsp;at an average of 55.75 with a best of 123*.&nbsp;

Chopra lauded Gaikwad for being among runs and said on his YouTube channel, "Ruturaj Gaikwad - he said that he is there. Ruturaj is going to have stiff competition because Shubman Gill also plays like that. Rohit Sharma will also come now. So suddenly you will feel that you aren't even able to pick two among the three. So these runs were necessary."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/5th-t20i-mukesh-iyer-star-in-close-win-for-india-despite-last-over-drama-win-series-4-1-665835">5th T20I: Mukesh, Iyer star in close win for India despite last-over drama, win series 4-1</a>

The former Indian cricketer further advised Gaikwad and added, "Keep scoring runs so that you are part of the squad when the World Cup comes. From his point of view, it's important that he remains a part of the squad. It might be a direct shoot-out between him and Shubman Gill. You might keep one of them as both do similar things in T20 cricket."

Gill had a good&nbsp;run in the ODI World Cup at home, ending with&nbsp;354 runs in nine games, at an average of&nbsp;44.25 with four fifties. He will face&nbsp;stiff competition from Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan at the top-order in India's T20I setup.

India’s T20I squad for SA tour

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Chahar.

India wrapped up the home five-match T20I series by winning the final game by six runs at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (Dec 3). Having already won the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead after the fourth T20I, Suryakumar Yadav-led India beat Matthew Wade's Australia by a whisker in defence of 160/8.

India wrapped up the home five-match T20I series by winning the final game by six runs at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (Dec 3). Having already won the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead after the fourth T20I, Suryakumar Yadav-led India beat Matthew Wade's Australia by a whisker in defence of 160/8. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Shreyas Iyer's 53 and vital runs from Jitesh Sharma and Axar Patel to post 160/8. In reply, Ben McDermott top-scored for the Aussies with a fine 54 but it was not enough. Arshdeep Singh defended 10 runs in the last over, with visitors managing 154/8, to take his side to a 4-1 series triumph. After the series, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra opined on India's performance and made a big claim with regard to the Men in Blue's potential squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, in West Indies and USA. Chopra feels there might be a toss-up between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill for India's T20 WC squad. Gaikwad ended as the top-scorer in the five T20Is, scoring 223 runs at an average of 55.75 with a best of 123*. Chopra lauded Gaikwad for being among runs and said on his YouTube channel, "Ruturaj Gaikwad - he said that he is there. Ruturaj is going to have stiff competition because Shubman Gill also plays like that. Rohit Sharma will also come now. So suddenly you will feel that you aren't even able to pick two among the three. So these runs were necessary." Also read: 5th T20I: Mukesh, Iyer star in close win for India despite last-over drama, win series 4-1 The former Indian cricketer further advised Gaikwad and added, "Keep scoring runs so that you are part of the squad when the World Cup comes. From his point of view, it's important that he remains a part of the squad. It might be a direct shoot-out between him and Shubman Gill. You might keep one of them as both do similar things in T20 cricket." Gill had a good run in the ODI World Cup at home, ending with 354 runs in nine games, at an average of 44.25 with four fifties. He will face stiff competition from Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan at the top-order in India's T20I setup. India’s T20I squad for SA tour Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Chahar.

Might be a toss-up between Gaikwad and Gill for T20 World Cup 2024 spot, feels ex-Indian opener

India have a 2-0 lead over Australia in the ongoing five T20Is series currently being played&nbsp;in India. Ahead of the third T20I, on Tuesday (Nov 28) in Guwahati, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra raised concerns over Matthew Wade-led Aussies' struggles. The second-string&nbsp;Australian side lost the series opener by two wickets&nbsp;on the final ball of the contest&nbsp;before losing the following T20I by 44 runs.

In both the games, Australia's bowling has looked off-colour. Ahead of the third encounter, which is a do-or-die for the Aussies, Chopra questioned the Aussies on whether they were playing to win. He feels the Australian setup is currently 'emotionally drained' after an emphatic ODI World Cup win&nbsp;in India&nbsp;earlier&nbsp;this month.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "The Australian team needs to buck up but the big question is - Do they actually want to win? Are they here to win? 'What else you here for' - it reminds me of Kapil paaji (Dev). It is being heard that some reinforcements are being sent for Australia. They are slightly emotionally drained after winning the World Cup."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-2023-australia-coach-reveals-team-meeting-which-turned-things-around-after-two-consecutive-losses-663666">World Cup 2023: Australia coach reveals team meeting which turned things around after two consecutive losses</a>

Chopra went on to give a suggestion to Aussie opener Matthew Short, who has been dismissed twice by Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi. He opined,&nbsp;"I want to give a suggestion to Matthew Short. Keep your ego aside because Ravi Bishnoi will come and bowl you a googly - you, Ravi Bishnoi, I, our commentary team, the Australian team, the Indian team, and the 25000 spectators in Guwahati know that - so play a little cautiously."

Australia will look to include their ODI WC hero&nbsp;Travis Head&nbsp;in the upcoming games with the series on the line.&nbsp;&nbsp;

India have a 2-0 lead over Australia in the ongoing five T20Is series currently being played in India. Ahead of the third T20I, on Tuesday (Nov 28) in Guwahati, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra raised concerns over Matthew Wade-led Aussies' struggles.

India have a 2-0 lead over Australia in the ongoing five T20Is series currently being played in India. Ahead of the third T20I, on Tuesday (Nov 28) in Guwahati, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra raised concerns over Matthew Wade-led Aussies' struggles. The second-string Australian side lost the series opener by two wickets on the final ball of the contest before losing the following T20I by 44 runs. In both the games, Australia's bowling has looked off-colour. Ahead of the third encounter, which is a do-or-die for the Aussies, Chopra questioned the Aussies on whether they were playing to win. He feels the Australian setup is currently 'emotionally drained' after an emphatic ODI World Cup win in India earlier this month. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "The Australian team needs to buck up but the big question is - Do they actually want to win? Are they here to win? 'What else you here for' - it reminds me of Kapil paaji (Dev). It is being heard that some reinforcements are being sent for Australia. They are slightly emotionally drained after winning the World Cup." Also read: World Cup 2023: Australia coach reveals team meeting which turned things around after two consecutive losses Chopra went on to give a suggestion to Aussie opener Matthew Short, who has been dismissed twice by Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi. He opined, "I want to give a suggestion to Matthew Short. Keep your ego aside because Ravi Bishnoi will come and bowl you a googly - you, Ravi Bishnoi, I, our commentary team, the Australian team, the Indian team, and the 25000 spectators in Guwahati know that - so play a little cautiously." Australia will look to include their ODI WC hero Travis Head in the upcoming games with the series on the line.

Ind vs Aus, 3rd T20I: 'Are Australia here to win? They are...' - Former Indian opener on visitors' struggles

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has hailed the impact of Suryakumar Yadav in the T20I format as he kick-started the nation’s resurgence after the ODI World Cup final defeat. Riding on his excellent show with the bat, Suryakumar scored 80 runs and laid the foundation for the two-wicket win against the Aussies on Thursday (Nov 23) in Visakhapatnam. According to Chopra, he is the perfect player for the format and excels while playing for India.

<h2>Chopra heaps praise on SKY</h2>

"He is a 360-degree kind of player who comes in with a reputation that makes bowlers think differently. Plan differently, have rather strange field positions because he makes you do that. He plays with freedom in the shortest format and the pitch that was there was for him to exploit because this is the kind of surface you get 9 out of 10 times in T20Is," Aakash Chopra said while speaking to Jio Cinema.

Despite entering the final over with seven runs needed and five wickets in hand,&nbsp;a final ball finish led India home as Rinku Singh (22) did the trick. Sean Abbott bowled a decent over but his costly error on the last ball saw India home.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/record-breaking-300-million-fans-watch-india-vs-australia-odi-world-cup-final-on-tv-posts-jay-shah-662007">RECORD-BREAKING 300 million fans watched India vs Australia ODI World Cup final on TV, says Jay Shah</a>

"He comes into his own when he is batting in this format and therefore, you always saw that there was a deep fine leg in, there was a mid-on fielder inside the circle. You need those different field positions even though your plans are very different. You can think of bowling a back-of-the-hand slower one, but even while doing so, he can hit you over fine leg for a six. Then he hits you straight," Chopra added.

Earlier, Josh Inglis powered the Aussies to 208 in their 20 overs, having completed his ton in 47 balls. His contribution was vital, but ultimately went in vain as India won by two wickets in Vizag. The two teams now meet on Sunday in the second T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has hailed the impact of Suryakumar Yadav in the T20I format as he kick-started the nation’s resurgence after the ODI World Cup final defeat.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has hailed the impact of Suryakumar Yadav in the T20I format as he kick-started the nation’s resurgence after the ODI World Cup final defeat. Riding on his excellent show with the bat, Suryakumar scored 80 runs and laid the foundation for the two-wicket win against the Aussies on Thursday (Nov 23) in Visakhapatnam. According to Chopra, he is the perfect player for the format and excels while playing for India. Chopra heaps praise on SKY "He is a 360-degree kind of player who comes in with a reputation that makes bowlers think differently. Plan differently, have rather strange field positions because he makes you do that. He plays with freedom in the shortest format and the pitch that was there was for him to exploit because this is the kind of surface you get 9 out of 10 times in T20Is," Aakash Chopra said while speaking to Jio Cinema. Despite entering the final over with seven runs needed and five wickets in hand, a final ball finish led India home as Rinku Singh (22) did the trick. Sean Abbott bowled a decent over but his costly error on the last ball saw India home. ALSO READ | RECORD-BREAKING 300 million fans watched India vs Australia ODI World Cup final on TV, says Jay Shah "He comes into his own when he is batting in this format and therefore, you always saw that there was a deep fine leg in, there was a mid-on fielder inside the circle. You need those different field positions even though your plans are very different. You can think of bowling a back-of-the-hand slower one, but even while doing so, he can hit you over fine leg for a six. Then he hits you straight," Chopra added. Earlier, Josh Inglis powered the Aussies to 208 in their 20 overs, having completed his ton in 47 balls. His contribution was vital, but ultimately went in vain as India won by two wickets in Vizag. The two teams now meet on Sunday in the second T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

IND vs AUS 1st T20I: Aakash Chopra in awe of new skipper Suryakumar Yadav after match-winning knock in Vizag

India have been on a roll in the 2023 ODI World Cup at home. Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue are on a winning spree, with eight wins on the trot, and sitting pretty at the top of the points table. They were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals and will play one of Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan. The hosts have beaten the likes of five-time winners Australia, Afghanistan, arch-rivals Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and South Africa without much discomfort and look a solid contender to win the title.

Ahead of their last league game, versus the Netherlands on Sunday (Nov 12) in Bengaluru, the Indian team is making headlines as they are the No. 1 ranked side across formats. Shubman Gill is the No. 1 ranked ODI batter whereas Mohammed Siraj tops the bowling charts. Thus, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra lauded India's recent run and feels 'they are not letting anyone come close and playing like legitimate champions'.

“The Indian team is at No. 1 in every ranking - No. 1 in ODIs, Tests and T20Is. No. 1 ODI batter - Shubman Gill, No. 1 T20I batter - Suryakumar Yadav, No. 1 ODI bowler - Mohammed Siraj, No. 1 Test all-rounder - Ravindra Jadeja, all are ours,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/want-pakistan-to-reach-odi-world-cup-semi-finals-and-play-india-says-former-captain-sourav-ganguly-656852">Want Pakistan to reach ODI World Cup semi-finals and play India, says former captain Sourav Ganguly</a>

He added, "We are not letting anyone come close. We are not only playing like No. 1, we are ranked No. 1 as well. We are playing cricket like legitimate champions - not only in one format but in all three formats. If we had an awards night now, our team would have got all the awards."

India will look to thrash the Dutch line-up on Sunday and march into the semi-finals. Rohit &amp; Co. are eyeing the third ODI World Cup title.

India have been on a roll in the 2023 ODI World Cup at home. Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue are on a winning spree, with eight wins on the trot, and sitting pretty at the top of the points table.

India have been on a roll in the 2023 ODI World Cup at home. Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue are on a winning spree, with eight wins on the trot, and sitting pretty at the top of the points table. They were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals and will play one of Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan. The hosts have beaten the likes of five-time winners Australia, Afghanistan, arch-rivals Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and South Africa without much discomfort and look a solid contender to win the title. Ahead of their last league game, versus the Netherlands on Sunday (Nov 12) in Bengaluru, the Indian team is making headlines as they are the No. 1 ranked side across formats. Shubman Gill is the No. 1 ranked ODI batter whereas Mohammed Siraj tops the bowling charts. Thus, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra lauded India's recent run and feels 'they are not letting anyone come close and playing like legitimate champions'. “The Indian team is at No. 1 in every ranking - No. 1 in ODIs, Tests and T20Is. No. 1 ODI batter - Shubman Gill, No. 1 T20I batter - Suryakumar Yadav, No. 1 ODI bowler - Mohammed Siraj, No. 1 Test all-rounder - Ravindra Jadeja, all are ours,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel. Also read: Want Pakistan to reach ODI World Cup semi-finals and play India, says former captain Sourav Ganguly He added, "We are not letting anyone come close. We are not only playing like No. 1, we are ranked No. 1 as well. We are playing cricket like legitimate champions - not only in one format but in all three formats. If we had an awards night now, our team would have got all the awards." India will look to thrash the Dutch line-up on Sunday and march into the semi-finals. Rohit & Co. are eyeing the third ODI World Cup title.

India are playing like legitimate champions: Former opener lauds Rohit & Co.'s unbeaten ODI WC run

India raced past Sri Lanka by 302 runs in match 33 of the ODI World Cup, on Thursday (Nov 2) in Mumbai&nbsp;to book a place in the semi-finals. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Shubman Gill's 92, Virat Kohli's 88 and Shreyas Iyer's 82 to post a mammoth 357 for 8. In reply, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 55 as Mohammed Shami (5 for 18) and Mohammed Siraj (3 for 16) wreaked havoc with the ball.

The swing and seam rattled the Sri Lankan batters as India pacers made light work of the Islanders at a jam-packed Wankhede Stadium. However, their brilliant bowling display wasn't well received by former Pakistani player Hasan&nbsp;Raza, who feels the International Cricket Council (ICC) is helping India by giving them a&nbsp;different set of balls.

“The balls given to Indian bowlers should be checked. They are getting more swing and seam. Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are bowling like Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini. Even Mathews was surprised to see the amount of swing Shami’s ball got in Mumbai. Either ICC is helping them, or BCCI is coming to help their bowlers. There could be an involvement of the third umpire as well,” Hasan said while speaking on a Pakistani TV show.

Now, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has reacted to Hasan's absurd claims. "Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. It&nbsp;might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it," Chopra tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. I mean…it might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it. 🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/BXnmCpgbXy">https://t.co/BXnmCpgbXy</a>
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketaakash/status/1720283180442554692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/odi-world-cup-2023-watch-india-pacer-mohammed-siraj-breaks-bails-with-menacing-ball-vs-sri-lanka-654628">ODI World Cup 2023: WATCH | India pacer Mohammed Siraj BREAKS BAILS with menacing ball vs Sri Lanka</a>

After India's resounding win over the Lankans, they&nbsp;became the first side in the ten-team tournament to qualify for the semi-finals. The home side have won all their seven games and are sitting pretty at the top spot in the points table, with two more games left to play.

Rohit Sharma-led India will now focus on their next outing, where they play second-positioned South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in match 37 of the showpiece event. The game will be held on Sunday (Nov 5).

India raced past Sri Lanka by 302 runs in match 33 of the ODI World Cup, on Thursday (Nov 2) in Mumbai to book a place in the semi-finals. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Shubman Gill's 92, Virat Kohli's 88 and Shreyas Iyer's 82 to post a mammoth 357 for 8.

India raced past Sri Lanka by 302 runs in match 33 of the ODI World Cup, on Thursday (Nov 2) in Mumbai to book a place in the semi-finals. Being asked to bat first, India rode on Shubman Gill's 92, Virat Kohli's 88 and Shreyas Iyer's 82 to post a mammoth 357 for 8. In reply, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 55 as Mohammed Shami (5 for 18) and Mohammed Siraj (3 for 16) wreaked havoc with the ball. The swing and seam rattled the Sri Lankan batters as India pacers made light work of the Islanders at a jam-packed Wankhede Stadium. However, their brilliant bowling display wasn't well received by former Pakistani player Hasan Raza, who feels the International Cricket Council (ICC) is helping India by giving them a different set of balls. “The balls given to Indian bowlers should be checked. They are getting more swing and seam. Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are bowling like Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini. Even Mathews was surprised to see the amount of swing Shami’s ball got in Mumbai. Either ICC is helping them, or BCCI is coming to help their bowlers. There could be an involvement of the third umpire as well,” Hasan said while speaking on a Pakistani TV show. Now, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has reacted to Hasan's absurd claims. "Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. It might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it," Chopra tweeted. Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. I mean…it might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it. 🙏🏽 https://t.co/BXnmCpgbXy — Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 3, 2023 × Also read: ODI World Cup 2023: WATCH | India pacer Mohammed Siraj BREAKS BAILS with menacing ball vs Sri Lanka After India's resounding win over the Lankans, they became the first side in the ten-team tournament to qualify for the semi-finals. The home side have won all their seven games and are sitting pretty at the top spot in the points table, with two more games left to play. Rohit Sharma-led India will now focus on their next outing, where they play second-positioned South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in match 37 of the showpiece event. The game will be held on Sunday (Nov 5).

ODI WC: Former India opener BLASTS Pakistani show for RIDICULOUS claims on Team India after SL tie

South Africa took the field, without regular Temba Bavuma, versus Bangladesh in match 23 of the ODI World Cup 2023 edition on Tuesday (Oct 24) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Proteas continued their winning run with another big win, beating the Shakib Al Hasan-led Bangla Tigers by 149 runs. With this, they are now in the second spot after hosts India.&nbsp;

Seeing South Africa's dominance in the ten-team tournament, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels Kolkata could witness the best game of the tournament when India face Bavuma &amp; Co. on Nov 5 (Sunday). Here is what he tweeted:&nbsp;

Chopra wrote, "South Africa is a beast while batting first. India are the best chasers in this tournament. Kolkata could witness the best game of the tournament if both teams decide to stick to their guns and choose accordingly.&nbsp;5th November.&nbsp;Eden Gardens. #CWC23".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
South Africa is a beast while batting first. India are the best chasers in this tournament. Kolkata could witness the best game of the tournament if both teams decide to stick to their guns and choose accordingly. 
5th November. 
Eden Gardens. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC23</a>
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketaakash/status/1716833640708284500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shaheen-rizwan-sarfaraz-in-fray-to-replace-babar-azam-as-pakistan-captain-post-odi-wc-report-650971">Shaheen, Rizwan, Sarfaraz in-fray to replace Babar Azam as Pakistan captain post ODI WC: Report</a>

Talking about SA's win over Bangladesh, they rode on Quinton de Kock's mammoth 174 to post a staggering 382 for 5 after opting to bat first. In reply, they dismissed the Asian side for 233 in 46.4 overs -- with&nbsp;Mahmudullah (111) being the sole warrior&nbsp;-- as pacer&nbsp;Gerald Coetzee took a three-fer.&nbsp;

SA have been in roaring form with four big wins and only one&nbsp;loss, which came against the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma-led India are on a roll as well and remain the only unbeaten side in the competition after five wins on the trot (beating Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand, respectively). Thus, India versus South Africa is expected to be a humdinger of a clash at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the first week of Nov.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

South Africa took the field, without regular Temba Bavuma, versus Bangladesh in match 23 of the ODI World Cup 2023 edition on Tuesday (Oct 24) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

South Africa took the field, without regular Temba Bavuma, versus Bangladesh in match 23 of the ODI World Cup 2023 edition on Tuesday (Oct 24) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Proteas continued their winning run with another big win, beating the Shakib Al Hasan-led Bangla Tigers by 149 runs. With this, they are now in the second spot after hosts India. Seeing South Africa's dominance in the ten-team tournament, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra feels Kolkata could witness the best game of the tournament when India face Bavuma & Co. on Nov 5 (Sunday). Here is what he tweeted: Chopra wrote, "South Africa is a beast while batting first. India are the best chasers in this tournament. Kolkata could witness the best game of the tournament if both teams decide to stick to their guns and choose accordingly. 5th November. Eden Gardens. #CWC23". South Africa is a beast while batting first. India are the best chasers in this tournament. Kolkata could witness the best game of the tournament if both teams decide to stick to their guns and choose accordingly. 5th November. Eden Gardens. #CWC23 — Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 24, 2023 × Also read: Shaheen, Rizwan, Sarfaraz in-fray to replace Babar Azam as Pakistan captain post ODI WC: Report Talking about SA's win over Bangladesh, they rode on Quinton de Kock's mammoth 174 to post a staggering 382 for 5 after opting to bat first. In reply, they dismissed the Asian side for 233 in 46.4 overs -- with Mahmudullah (111) being the sole warrior -- as pacer Gerald Coetzee took a three-fer. SA have been in roaring form with four big wins and only one loss, which came against the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma-led India are on a roll as well and remain the only unbeaten side in the competition after five wins on the trot (beating Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand, respectively). Thus, India versus South Africa is expected to be a humdinger of a clash at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the first week of Nov. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India vs South Africa could be best game of ODI World Cup 2023, feels former Indian opener

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over alleged "inappropriate crowd behaviour" during the Men in Green's clash versus India in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The match was held on Oct 14 (Saturday) in the west Indian city of Ahmedabad, where Rohit Sharma-led India thrashed Babar Azam's Pakistan by seven wickets. After PCB's complaint, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan recalled a shocking story of being hit by a nail in India-Pakistan clash during his playing days.&nbsp;

Speaking on Star Sports, amid the ongoing India-Bangladesh tie in Pune on Thursday (Oct 19), Irfan recalled the shocking story which took place during his active days when India toured Pakistan (during 2004 and 2006).&nbsp;

<h2>'The match was halted for 10 minutes, but we did not pay any heed to it'</h2>

"We were playing a game in Peshawar, when a fan threw a nail at me, which struck me under my eye. I could have gotten seriously injured. The match was halted for 10 minutes, but we did not pay any heed to it as we were playing good cricket,” Pathan said on commentary.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-could-be-india-vs-new-zealand-in-cwc-23-final-former-indian-opener-makes-bold-claim-648795">It could be India vs New Zealand in CWC '23 final: Former Indian opener makes BOLD claim</a>

After this, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra took to his official account on X, formerly Twitter, to react to Irfan's revelations. He wrote, "Didn’t know that fans in Peshawar threw a nail at Irfan, which hit him under the eye. Remember the game getting stopped for a bit bcoz of fan trouble but it’s only today I got to know the exact reason. Well done."

To this, Irfan was quick to respond and replied saying, "I Would have taken to my grave brother cos I think fans are the utmost important to this game and things do happen. But the narrative is set differently now days with some ppl trying to spread unnecessary negativity for their own benefit. So i spoke. Love you brother."

Irfan shared the incident following PCB's formal complaint, raising issue on the treatment given to Pakistani cricketers during the India clash. "The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged another formal protest with the ICC over delays in visas for Pakistani journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistan fans for the ongoing World Cup 2023. The PCB has also filed a complaint regarding inappropriate conduct targeted at the Pakistan squad during the India vs Pakistan match held on 14 October 2023," PCB posted on X.

At present, Pakistan occupy the fourth spot in the points table with two wins and a heavy defeat versus India. The hosts, with three back-to-back wins, are at the second spot with unbeaten New Zealand on top.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over alleged "inappropriate crowd behaviour" during the Men in Green's clash versus India in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over alleged "inappropriate crowd behaviour" during the Men in Green's clash versus India in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The match was held on Oct 14 (Saturday) in the west Indian city of Ahmedabad, where Rohit Sharma-led India thrashed Babar Azam's Pakistan by seven wickets. After PCB's complaint, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan recalled a shocking story of being hit by a nail in India-Pakistan clash during his playing days. Speaking on Star Sports, amid the ongoing India-Bangladesh tie in Pune on Thursday (Oct 19), Irfan recalled the shocking story which took place during his active days when India toured Pakistan (during 2004 and 2006). 'The match was halted for 10 minutes, but we did not pay any heed to it' "We were playing a game in Peshawar, when a fan threw a nail at me, which struck me under my eye. I could have gotten seriously injured. The match was halted for 10 minutes, but we did not pay any heed to it as we were playing good cricket,” Pathan said on commentary. Also read: It could be India vs New Zealand in CWC '23 final: Former Indian opener makes BOLD claim After this, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra took to his official account on X, formerly Twitter, to react to Irfan's revelations. He wrote, "Didn’t know that fans in Peshawar threw a nail at Irfan, which hit him under the eye. Remember the game getting stopped for a bit bcoz of fan trouble but it’s only today I got to know the exact reason. Well done." To this, Irfan was quick to respond and replied saying, "I Would have taken to my grave brother cos I think fans are the utmost important to this game and things do happen. But the narrative is set differently now days with some ppl trying to spread unnecessary negativity for their own benefit. So i spoke. Love you brother." Irfan shared the incident following PCB's formal complaint, raising issue on the treatment given to Pakistani cricketers during the India clash. "The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged another formal protest with the ICC over delays in visas for Pakistani journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistan fans for the ongoing World Cup 2023. The PCB has also filed a complaint regarding inappropriate conduct targeted at the Pakistan squad during the India vs Pakistan match held on 14 October 2023," PCB posted on X. At present, Pakistan occupy the fourth spot in the points table with two wins and a heavy defeat versus India. The hosts, with three back-to-back wins, are at the second spot with unbeaten New Zealand on top. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

SHOCKING! As PCB complains about Indian crowd in CWC '23, Irfan Pathan recalls how Pak fan threw nail at him

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has made a bold claim amid the ODI World Cup 2023 edition in India. Chopra feels there could be an India versus New Zealand final in the ongoing 2023 edition. The former Indian cricketer made the remark after the Kiwis won their fourth game on the trot, beating Afghanistan by 149 runs in match 16 on Wednesday (Oct 18) in Chennai.&nbsp;

The Kane Williamson-less Kiwis have been on a roll in the current edition. The Black Caps have won their opening four games and will now take on India on Sunday (Oct 22) in Dharamshala. They entered the ten-team tournament with several injury concerns. Regular captain Kane Williamson missed the first two games (with a knee injury), played the third and is once again out of action with a thumb injury. Meanwhile,&nbsp;Tim Southee is yet to play --&nbsp;also dealing with&nbsp;a thumb&nbsp;injury. However, the Black Caps continue to win and move forward courtesy of contributions from Mitchell Santner, stand-in skipper Tom Latham, Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, etc.

<h2>'Not a big deal that it could be an India-New Zealand final'</h2>

Thus, Chopra said on his YouTube channel, "They are an amazing team and I feel it's not a big deal that it could be an India-New Zealand final. They have won four out of four and the semi-final berth is almost confirmed. It is such a good team that it doesn't make a difference to them whether Kane (Williamson) is there or not. They figure out a way to win."

In Chennai, New Zealand were struggling at 110 for 4 after being 109 for 1, being asked to bat by the Afghans. Nonetheless, Glenn Phillips (71) and Latham (68) and Mark Chapman (12-ball 25*) took them to 288 for 6 after Will Young (54) set the tone for the side. With the ball, Santner and Lockie Ferguson's three-fers each dismissed the Afghans for 139 in 34.4 overs.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-bangladesh-cwc-23-concern-for-rohit-led-hosts-bcci-provides-big-update-on-injured-hardik-pandya-648765">India vs Bangladesh, CWC '23: Concern for Rohit-led hosts? BCCI provides BIG update on injured Hardik Pandya</a>

Chopra lauded Kiwis for managing a mini-collapse and feels they are&nbsp;finding players who can bail them out of crisis regularly.&nbsp;He opined, "Kane wasn't there and there was a collapse in the middle, Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed two players in an over, but Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips came there. Will Young was there with Rachin Ravindra at the start. Conway also scored a few runs. Once you reach 280-plus, runs are not scored that easily here."

The former Indian opener also praised Kiwis bowling attack and added, "In bowling, Trent Boult with the new ball and Matt Henry with his incoming delivery. Lockie Ferguson is actually breathing fire. The guy bowls amazingly well. He dismisses batters by scaring and threatening them."

Despite all the injury crisis, the Tom Latham-led NZ have kept the winning run intact and are one of the strongest contenders to life the title, after missing out in the 2015 and 2019 editions by a whisker (ending as&nbsp;runners-up twice).&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma-led India are also on fire with three straight wins and have locked horns with Bangladesh on Thursday (Oct 19) at the MCA Stadium in Pune. They will next meet New Zealand on Sunday in Dharamshala.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has made a bold claim amid the ODI World Cup 2023 edition in India. Chopra feels there could be an India versus New Zealand final in the ongoing 2023 edition.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has made a bold claim amid the ODI World Cup 2023 edition in India. Chopra feels there could be an India versus New Zealand final in the ongoing 2023 edition. The former Indian cricketer made the remark after the Kiwis won their fourth game on the trot, beating Afghanistan by 149 runs in match 16 on Wednesday (Oct 18) in Chennai. The Kane Williamson-less Kiwis have been on a roll in the current edition. The Black Caps have won their opening four games and will now take on India on Sunday (Oct 22) in Dharamshala. They entered the ten-team tournament with several injury concerns. Regular captain Kane Williamson missed the first two games (with a knee injury), played the third and is once again out of action with a thumb injury. Meanwhile, Tim Southee is yet to play -- also dealing with a thumb injury. However, the Black Caps continue to win and move forward courtesy of contributions from Mitchell Santner, stand-in skipper Tom Latham, Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, etc. 'Not a big deal that it could be an India-New Zealand final' Thus, Chopra said on his YouTube channel, "They are an amazing team and I feel it's not a big deal that it could be an India-New Zealand final. They have won four out of four and the semi-final berth is almost confirmed. It is such a good team that it doesn't make a difference to them whether Kane (Williamson) is there or not. They figure out a way to win." In Chennai, New Zealand were struggling at 110 for 4 after being 109 for 1, being asked to bat by the Afghans. Nonetheless, Glenn Phillips (71) and Latham (68) and Mark Chapman (12-ball 25*) took them to 288 for 6 after Will Young (54) set the tone for the side. With the ball, Santner and Lockie Ferguson's three-fers each dismissed the Afghans for 139 in 34.4 overs. Also read: India vs Bangladesh, CWC '23: Concern for Rohit-led hosts? BCCI provides BIG update on injured Hardik Pandya Chopra lauded Kiwis for managing a mini-collapse and feels they are finding players who can bail them out of crisis regularly. He opined, "Kane wasn't there and there was a collapse in the middle, Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed two players in an over, but Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips came there. Will Young was there with Rachin Ravindra at the start. Conway also scored a few runs. Once you reach 280-plus, runs are not scored that easily here." The former Indian opener also praised Kiwis bowling attack and added, "In bowling, Trent Boult with the new ball and Matt Henry with his incoming delivery. Lockie Ferguson is actually breathing fire. The guy bowls amazingly well. He dismisses batters by scaring and threatening them." Despite all the injury crisis, the Tom Latham-led NZ have kept the winning run intact and are one of the strongest contenders to life the title, after missing out in the 2015 and 2019 editions by a whisker (ending as runners-up twice). Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma-led India are also on fire with three straight wins and have locked horns with Bangladesh on Thursday (Oct 19) at the MCA Stadium in Pune. They will next meet New Zealand on Sunday in Dharamshala. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

It could be India vs New Zealand in CWC '23 final: Former Indian opener makes BOLD claim

Rohit Sharma-led India demolished Afghanistan by eight wickets in match 9 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 edition on Thursday (Oct 11) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Being asked to bowl first, India rode on Jasprit Bumrah's 4 for 39 but Afghanistan managed a healthy 272 for 8 courtesy of captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (80) and&nbsp;Azmatullah Omarzai (61). In reply, India closed the run-chase in 35 overs courtesy of Rohit's sublime 131 and Virat Kohli's unbeaten 55.&nbsp;

Rohit was at his best from the word go during the run-chase. Hitman started off with a flurry of boundaries and ended with an impressive 84-ball 131, laced with 16 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of&nbsp;155.95. His knock led to India making light work of the run-chase, which could have been tricky had India lost early wickets. After the match, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra hailed Rohit -- who now has the most ODI World Cup tons (seven) -- and feels he doesn't get enough credit despite being a beast in the ODI format.&nbsp;

Chopra told JioCinema, "My focus for the chase was purely on Ishan Kishan. I thought that he played decently, was not the best but tried to hold his own, while he let the captain do all the heavy lifting on the other end."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-telling-delhi-crowd-not-to-troll-naveen-a-great-gesture-says-gambhir-after-ind-afg-cwc-23-tie-645842">Virat Kohli telling Delhi crowd not to troll Naveen a great gesture, says Gambhir after Ind-Afg CWC '23 tie</a>

He added, "Rohit Sharma has made seven centuries in only nineteen games in all editions of the World Cup - what a player! He made those sixes look too easy. It is unfortunate that we don't give him enough credit - Rohit Sharma is an ODI beast. Whenever he puts up a monstrous performance, the match is always one-sided."

Rohit -- who also ended with the Player-of-the-Match award --&nbsp;broke several records during his 131-run knock, including&nbsp;becoming the joint-fastest 1,000 runs in ODI World Cup history. After his inning, he said at the post-match presentation, "It was a good pitch to bat on, just backed myself to play my natural game. I knew once I got my eye in, the wicket was going to get easier for me. Something that I have been working on for a long time. It's a special feeling to get a World Cup hundred. Really happy with that. Don't want to think too much (scoring 7 hundreds in just three World Cups), I don't want to lose my focus. You need to make such things count."

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Rohit Sharma-led India demolished Afghanistan by eight wickets in match 9 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 edition on Thursday (Oct 11) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Rohit Sharma-led India demolished Afghanistan by eight wickets in match 9 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 edition on Thursday (Oct 11) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Being asked to bowl first, India rode on Jasprit Bumrah's 4 for 39 but Afghanistan managed a healthy 272 for 8 courtesy of captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (80) and Azmatullah Omarzai (61). In reply, India closed the run-chase in 35 overs courtesy of Rohit's sublime 131 and Virat Kohli's unbeaten 55. Rohit was at his best from the word go during the run-chase. Hitman started off with a flurry of boundaries and ended with an impressive 84-ball 131, laced with 16 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of 155.95. His knock led to India making light work of the run-chase, which could have been tricky had India lost early wickets. After the match, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra hailed Rohit -- who now has the most ODI World Cup tons (seven) -- and feels he doesn't get enough credit despite being a beast in the ODI format. Chopra told JioCinema, "My focus for the chase was purely on Ishan Kishan. I thought that he played decently, was not the best but tried to hold his own, while he let the captain do all the heavy lifting on the other end." Also read: Virat Kohli telling Delhi crowd not to troll Naveen a great gesture, says Gambhir after Ind-Afg CWC '23 tie He added, "Rohit Sharma has made seven centuries in only nineteen games in all editions of the World Cup - what a player! He made those sixes look too easy. It is unfortunate that we don't give him enough credit - Rohit Sharma is an ODI beast. Whenever he puts up a monstrous performance, the match is always one-sided." Rohit -- who also ended with the Player-of-the-Match award -- broke several records during his 131-run knock, including becoming the joint-fastest 1,000 runs in ODI World Cup history. After his inning, he said at the post-match presentation, "It was a good pitch to bat on, just backed myself to play my natural game. I knew once I got my eye in, the wicket was going to get easier for me. Something that I have been working on for a long time. It's a special feeling to get a World Cup hundred. Really happy with that. Don't want to think too much (scoring 7 hundreds in just three World Cups), I don't want to lose my focus. You need to make such things count." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

CWC '23: 'Rohit is an ODI beast, does not...'- Chopra HAILS Hitman after India's easy win vs Afghanistan

The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 gets underway on October 5 with defending champions England taking on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the tournament-opener, many former cricketers and experts have shared their predictions for the upcoming marquee event in India. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has also made a bold claim by stating that the World Cup could belong to India's in-form batter Shubman Gill.

Shubman has been in exceptional form in 2023, especially in the ODI format. He has so far scored 1,230 runs in 20 innings along with as many as five centuries. Overall, he is the No. 2 ranked ODI batter (after Babar Azam) and ended as the Player-of-the-Series in the recent India-Australia ODIs, at home. Thus, all eyes are on the 24-year-old as one waits to see&nbsp;how he will respond to the World Cup pressure.

Chopra believes Gill will do exceptionally well and this could be his World Cup, with at least two or three hundreds.

<h2>'Gill is a quality player and this World Cup could be his'</h2>

On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "This tournament could be Shubman Gill’s. In all fairness, the tournament will belong to the top three batters. The good ones will make a lot of records. Shubman Gill will score a lot of runs. I feel he will score at least two hundreds; I won’t be surprised if he hits three as well. One of them could be a daddy hundred if he doesn’t get tired. Gill is a quality player and this World Cup could be his."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cwc-2023-big-claim-gautam-gambhir-makes-century-prediction-for-pakistan-captain-babar-azam-641725">CWC 2023: BIG CLAIM! Gautam Gambhir makes 'century' prediction for Pakistan captain Babar Azam</a>

<iframe allow="attribution-reporting" aria-label="Advertisement" data-google-container-id="4" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="1" id="google_ads_iframe_/1007232/IT_Teads_1x1_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/1007232/IT_Teads_1x1_0" role="region" scrolling="no" tabindex="0" title="3rd party ad content" width="1"></iframe>The former cricketer also lauded Gill for working on his game against left-arm spinners in the recent past, highlighting&nbsp;his impressive 121 in India-Bangladesh Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2023.

“At one point of time, it seemed like he gets stuck against left-arm spin. But he showed he can take that on as well during his last hundred in the Asia Cup. It was his best ODI knock in my opinion,"&nbsp;Chopra added.

<h2>'Shubman Gill has the potential to become the best player of this generation'</h2>

Yuvraj Singh also heaped praise on Gill during his recent interaction with The Week. He stated, "Shubman Gill has the potential to become the best player of this generation. The guy works hard. Since he was 19-20, his attitude has always been like that. He works four times harder than a normal guy since he was a kid. Whatever I have worked with him, he can be the player of this era."

"He (Gill) scored 91 in a Test match which India won (versus Australia in Gabba). He scored two fifties as well on his first tour to Australia which I don't know how many players have done. I am sure he will score runs in Australia, South Africa as well as England," Yuvraj opined.

The former all-rounder added, "He (Gill) is in such a stage right now that he is fearless. He can be a game-changer for India in the World Cup. He opened up the game against Pakistan and put the bowlers under pressure."

Overall, Gill has played 35 ODIs since his debut in 2019. He has&nbsp;scored a remarkable 1,917 runs with six hundreds, at an average of 66.10, with a best of 213.

Rohit Sharma-led India open their campaign in CWC 2023 on October 08 (Sunday) in Chennai, where they face Australia.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 gets underway on October 5 with defending champions England taking on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the tournament-opener, many former cricketers and experts have shared their predictions for the upcoming marquee event in India.

The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 gets underway on October 5 with defending champions England taking on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the tournament-opener, many former cricketers and experts have shared their predictions for the upcoming marquee event in India. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has also made a bold claim by stating that the World Cup could belong to India's in-form batter Shubman Gill. Shubman has been in exceptional form in 2023, especially in the ODI format. He has so far scored 1,230 runs in 20 innings along with as many as five centuries. Overall, he is the No. 2 ranked ODI batter (after Babar Azam) and ended as the Player-of-the-Series in the recent India-Australia ODIs, at home. Thus, all eyes are on the 24-year-old as one waits to see how he will respond to the World Cup pressure. Chopra believes Gill will do exceptionally well and this could be his World Cup, with at least two or three hundreds. 'Gill is a quality player and this World Cup could be his' On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "This tournament could be Shubman Gill’s. In all fairness, the tournament will belong to the top three batters. The good ones will make a lot of records. Shubman Gill will score a lot of runs. I feel he will score at least two hundreds; I won’t be surprised if he hits three as well. One of them could be a daddy hundred if he doesn’t get tired. Gill is a quality player and this World Cup could be his." Also read: CWC 2023: BIG CLAIM! Gautam Gambhir makes 'century' prediction for Pakistan captain Babar Azam The former cricketer also lauded Gill for working on his game against left-arm spinners in the recent past, highlighting his impressive 121 in India-Bangladesh Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2023. “At one point of time, it seemed like he gets stuck against left-arm spin. But he showed he can take that on as well during his last hundred in the Asia Cup. It was his best ODI knock in my opinion," Chopra added. 'Shubman Gill has the potential to become the best player of this generation' Yuvraj Singh also heaped praise on Gill during his recent interaction with The Week. He stated, "Shubman Gill has the potential to become the best player of this generation. The guy works hard. Since he was 19-20, his attitude has always been like that. He works four times harder than a normal guy since he was a kid. Whatever I have worked with him, he can be the player of this era." "He (Gill) scored 91 in a Test match which India won (versus Australia in Gabba). He scored two fifties as well on his first tour to Australia which I don't know how many players have done. I am sure he will score runs in Australia, South Africa as well as England," Yuvraj opined. The former all-rounder added, "He (Gill) is in such a stage right now that he is fearless. He can be a game-changer for India in the World Cup. He opened up the game against Pakistan and put the bowlers under pressure." Overall, Gill has played 35 ODIs since his debut in 2019. He has scored a remarkable 1,917 runs with six hundreds, at an average of 66.10, with a best of 213. Rohit Sharma-led India open their campaign in CWC 2023 on October 08 (Sunday) in Chennai, where they face Australia. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

CWC '23 could belong to THIS Indian batter: Aakash Chopra's bold claim, says 'he will score at least...'

Team India thrashed Australia by 99 runs (DLS method) in the second and penultimate ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Sunday (September 24) in Mohali. Asked to bat first, India rode on centuries from Shubman Gill (104), Shreyas Iyer (105). Stand-in captain KL Rahul's 52 and Suryakumar Yadav's 72* propelled the Men in Blue to 399/5.

In reply, Australia were bundled out for 217 in 28.2 overs after a rain break revised the target to 317 in 33 overs.

With this win, India are set to enter the forthcoming ODI World Cup, at home, as the No. 1 ranked side in the format. Their preparations are going great with the middle-order looking in good form whereas regulars such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah will also join the squad for the third ODI.

There were concerns over Shreyas Iyer -- who returned to international cricket after a long injury layoff during Asia Cup 2023 -- also booked his CWC spot with a fine 105 on Sunday evening.&nbsp;

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra lauded Iyer for his fluent knock, laced with 11 fours and 3 sixes at 116.67.&nbsp;

"He was under pressure. But the team was convinced that Shreyas is our main player and we are going to stick with him. The way he hit a shot over covers at the start and then played those drives, he was brilliant. He was in total control."

"It was not like there were edges or catches were being dropped. There was nothing of that sort. He batted very well. For some time at the start, it seemed like Shreyas Iyer was Shubman Gill and Shubman Gill is Shreyas Iyer, who is coming back from injury,"&nbsp;Chopra&nbsp;opined.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shreyas-iyer-thanks-himself-for-century-in-indore-odi-against-australia-639396">Shreyas Iyer 'thanks himself' for century in Indore ODI against Australia</a>

Further, Chopra was in awe of Suryakumar Yadav following his belligerent 37-ball 72, including 6 fours and equal number of sixes at 194.59. "I am not going to call him Suryakumar Yadav, but Sixer Kumar Yadav. He hits so many sixes. Everyone was saying, go Green. He said we need to go Green near the boundary line. It was an amazing innings. He is a 360-degree player and has validated the management’s decision to back him for the World Cup. This is something to admire," added Chopra.

A lot of questions have also been raised on Surya's CWC spot. While he is the final 15, his form remained a cause of concern for Team India. With two successive fifties in the ongoing Australia series, he has also cemented his position and will look to score a big in the final ODI.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Team India thrashed Australia by 99 runs (DLS method) in the second and penultimate ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Sunday (September 24) in Mohali.

Team India thrashed Australia by 99 runs (DLS method) in the second and penultimate ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Sunday (September 24) in Mohali. Asked to bat first, India rode on centuries from Shubman Gill (104), Shreyas Iyer (105). Stand-in captain KL Rahul's 52 and Suryakumar Yadav's 72* propelled the Men in Blue to 399/5. In reply, Australia were bundled out for 217 in 28.2 overs after a rain break revised the target to 317 in 33 overs. With this win, India are set to enter the forthcoming ODI World Cup, at home, as the No. 1 ranked side in the format. Their preparations are going great with the middle-order looking in good form whereas regulars such as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah will also join the squad for the third ODI. There were concerns over Shreyas Iyer -- who returned to international cricket after a long injury layoff during Asia Cup 2023 -- also booked his CWC spot with a fine 105 on Sunday evening. Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra lauded Iyer for his fluent knock, laced with 11 fours and 3 sixes at 116.67. "He was under pressure. But the team was convinced that Shreyas is our main player and we are going to stick with him. The way he hit a shot over covers at the start and then played those drives, he was brilliant. He was in total control." "It was not like there were edges or catches were being dropped. There was nothing of that sort. He batted very well. For some time at the start, it seemed like Shreyas Iyer was Shubman Gill and Shubman Gill is Shreyas Iyer, who is coming back from injury," Chopra opined. Also read: Shreyas Iyer 'thanks himself' for century in Indore ODI against Australia Further, Chopra was in awe of Suryakumar Yadav following his belligerent 37-ball 72, including 6 fours and equal number of sixes at 194.59. "I am not going to call him Suryakumar Yadav, but Sixer Kumar Yadav. He hits so many sixes. Everyone was saying, go Green. He said we need to go Green near the boundary line. It was an amazing innings. He is a 360-degree player and has validated the management’s decision to back him for the World Cup. This is something to admire," added Chopra. A lot of questions have also been raised on Surya's CWC spot. While he is the final 15, his form remained a cause of concern for Team India. With two successive fifties in the ongoing Australia series, he has also cemented his position and will look to score a big in the final ODI. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'He was in total control': Aakash Chopra lauds 'brilliant' Shreyas Iyer after his 105 vs Australia

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has highlighted a key area in Ravindra Jadeja’s batting as the team gets into the final stage of preparations for the ODI World Cup next month. Jadeja, one of the first names in the Playing XI for the World Cup, has been contributing to the side with both bat and ball. However, his numbers with the bat since the 2019 World Cup have been relatively poor as Chopra explains&nbsp;in deep.

<h2>Jadeja’s key concern</h2>

“Ravindra Jadeja's numbers have been worrisome since the 2019 World Cup. A deep dive into his performance to see what numbers have to tell... or do numbers lie?” Chopra wrote on his X handle.

Jadeja has been a key member of the Indian squad for the last few years and contributes as a vital all-rounder option. However, the drop in strike rate since the 2019 ODI World Cup has led to worries ahead of the upcoming edition. The left-handed all-rounder had a strike rate of 84.2 before the 2019 ODI World Cup, but it has since dropped to 79.4, raising question marks on his batting approach.

However, it is worth reminding that Jadeja played a crucial knock with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He scored 10 runs on the final two balls of the season to clinch a record-equalling fifth IPL title for CSK in May.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-a-brief-history-of-all-india-vs-pakistan-matches-in-odi-world-cups-637997">In Pics: A brief history of all India vs Pakistan matches in ODI World Cups</a>

On the flip side, Jadeja’s average with the bat has slightly improved as he now averages 39.4, more than what it was before the 2019 ODI World Cup. He averaged 31.9 before the 2019 showpiece and will look to continue the impressive stat.

<h2>India’s upcoming schedule</h2>

India will start their ODI World Cup campaign against Australia on Sunday, October 8 in Chennai while they will face the same opposition in a three-match ODI series, starting on Friday, October 22. The Indian team will face a near-fully fit Australian side led by returning skipper Pat Cummins, while the likes of Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith will also be in the frame having not played in the recently concluded South Africa tour.

&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

&nbsp;

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has highlighted a key area in Ravindra Jadeja’s batting as the team gets into the final stage of preparations for the ODI World Cup next month.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has highlighted a key area in Ravindra Jadeja’s batting as the team gets into the final stage of preparations for the ODI World Cup next month. Jadeja, one of the first names in the Playing XI for the World Cup, has been contributing to the side with both bat and ball. However, his numbers with the bat since the 2019 World Cup have been relatively poor as Chopra explains in deep. Jadeja’s key concern “Ravindra Jadeja's numbers have been worrisome since the 2019 World Cup. A deep dive into his performance to see what numbers have to tell... or do numbers lie?” Chopra wrote on his X handle. Jadeja has been a key member of the Indian squad for the last few years and contributes as a vital all-rounder option. However, the drop in strike rate since the 2019 ODI World Cup has led to worries ahead of the upcoming edition. The left-handed all-rounder had a strike rate of 84.2 before the 2019 ODI World Cup, but it has since dropped to 79.4, raising question marks on his batting approach. However, it is worth reminding that Jadeja played a crucial knock with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He scored 10 runs on the final two balls of the season to clinch a record-equalling fifth IPL title for CSK in May. ALSO READ | In Pics: A brief history of all India vs Pakistan matches in ODI World Cups On the flip side, Jadeja’s average with the bat has slightly improved as he now averages 39.4, more than what it was before the 2019 ODI World Cup. He averaged 31.9 before the 2019 showpiece and will look to continue the impressive stat. India’s upcoming schedule India will start their ODI World Cup campaign against Australia on Sunday, October 8 in Chennai while they will face the same opposition in a three-match ODI series, starting on Friday, October 22. The Indian team will face a near-fully fit Australian side led by returning skipper Pat Cummins, while the likes of Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith will also be in the frame having not played in the recently concluded South Africa tour. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

THIS key stat of Ravindra Jadeja worries former player Aakash Chopra before ODI World Cup

aakash-chopra

Aakash Chopra, News on Aakash Chopra, stories on Aakash Chopra, articles on Aakash Chopra, Aakash Chopra stories at Wion, Aakash Chopra news, Aakash Chopra latest news

aakash chopra