Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked his Indian team playing XI for the first T20I against Australia. He added that Kuldeep Yadav might not get a place in the team, especially if the visitors are looking for a batting option at No. 8 as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “I am trying to make the XI. Shubman Gill with Abhishek Sharma – they will be the two openers. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma at No. 3 and No. 4. After that, Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson at No. 5 and No. 6 or vice versa. So your top six are confirmed.”

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“They will want to play Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 7 because then only you can keep Axar Patel at No. 8. If you wish to play Kuldeep and Varun together, then Axar won’t be able to play. You will have to make Axar sit out or play Axar at No. 7. No. 7 might be a little too high. Axar Patel at No. 7 and four proper bowlers from No. 8 to No. 11 looks slightly difficult to me. So Axar/Kuldeep/Harshit – Harshit could be your No. 8 maybe, but it is not a confirmed thing. Varun Chakaravarthy will be my primary spinner. I definitely see Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh playing. There might or might not be a place for Kuldeep, I don’t know,” he elaborated.

However, Aakash Chopra also stated that Jasprit Bumrah might play only the first two or three games in the T20I series against Australia as well.

“Another question will be how many matches Bumrah will play. Will he actually play the entire series? I doubt it because there is a very quick turnaround after that. There are only five days between the last game and the first Test against South Africa. So I don’t think he will play the entire series. He will just go after playing the first two or three games. I feel India will win this series 3-2. I don’t feel it will be a 4-1 series. Australia’s team is looking good to me. They are a fairly good team. Their batting is good. They have depth and the courage to hit,” Aakash Chopra concluded.