Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked his best XI of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and Axar Patel, who added together a crucial partnership for India in the final, failed to get a place in his team as well. Notably, India beat South Africa by seven runs in the final in Barbados on Saturday, June 29, to clinch their second T20 World Cup trophy. While Rahmanullah Gurbaz (281) was the highest run-scorer in the tournament, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Arshdeep Singh, with 17 scalps apiece, were the joint-highest wicket-takers as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “I am starting with Rohit Sharma as an opener and captain. If you leave aside the final, his batting was incredible, and his captaincy was top-class. There is no better captain than him in the entire world at the moment,” he said. “I have got Rahmanullah Gurbaz to open with him. Virat Kohli couldn’t get a place because he scored runs in only one match. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is also my wicketkeeper. This team reached the semi-finals because of his partnerships with Ibrahim Zadran.”

“I have kept Nicholas Pooran at No. 3. I was thinking about Rishabh Pant. He scored runs at the start but after that, he suddenly went cold. I have kept Nicholas Pooran because when he played, he hit a lot. I know the team didn’t reach the semi-finals. It was again a contentious decision about who to keep at No. 4. I have gone towards Suryakumar Yadav. You might say why. I will say because he scored runs in the semi-final, made a little contribution in the match before that, took an incredible catch in the final, and scored two successive fifties earlier,” Chopra again shared.

However, Klaasen smashed 52 runs off 27 deliveries in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. However, he was dismissed when the South African team needed 26 runs off 24 balls, and others failed to take the team over the line. Aakash Chopra also picked India’s Hardik Pandya as the batting all-rounder in his team of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Chopra also picked India’s Jasprit Bumrah as his first specialist pacer. The veteran also chose Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi and India’s Arshdeep Singh ahead of Australia’s Pat Cummins and South Africa’s Anrich Nortje as well.

“I was slightly split at No. 5. Should we keep Miller or Klaasen? I am going with Klaasen. He is my personal favorite. He scored a fifty in the final as well and if he had played 10 deliveries more, South Africa would have 100% won their first World Cup,” Chopra explained. “I have kept Hardik Pandya and he should be kept. He has been the best all-rounder in the World Cup. No all-rounder came close to him. He made important contributions with both bat and ball and consistently. He does all the ending jobs, which are the most difficult in T20s.”

“After that, I have kept Rashid Khan and he is also my vice-captain. He took his team to the semi-final. He picked up four wickets in the most difficult game against Bangladesh and scored 18-19 runs as well. Rashid is karamati Khan. Then I have kept an interesting choice. I have kept Rishad Hossain, the leg-spinner from Bangladesh. He bowled extremely well, picked up wickets, and kept his team in the game. The team didn’t reach the semi-finals but it wasn’t his mistake,” he added.

“After that, Boom Boom – no question, a no-brainer. Forget this World Cup, he is the world’s best bowler at this moment across all formats. He is one of the greatest of all time in white-ball cricket. Very few can raise their game consistently in clutch situations. He has done it time and again. Then I have kept Fazalhaq Farooqi and Arshdeep Singh. I thought about Pat Cummins, two hat-tricks, and Anrich Nortje, but Fazalhaq Farooqi has been absolutely outstanding. Arshdeep Singh doesn’t get that much credit. He is expensive at times but he was exceptional in the final,” Aakash Chopra concluded.

Aakash Chopra’s best XI of the 2024 T20 World Cup:

Rohit Sharma (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nicholas Pooran, Suryakumar Yadav, Heinrich Klaasen, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Rishad Hossain, Jasprit Bumrah, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Arshdeep Singh