Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra believes it is difficult to pick between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad as Shubman Gill’s opening partner for the first T20I between India and South Africa. Both sides will play against each other in a three-match T20I series, with the first game to be played in Durban on Sunday. Meanwhile, Jaiswal and Gaikwad batted at the top of the order in the recently-concluded T20I series against Australia whereas Gill, who was rested for the series, is back in the mix for the T20Is against the Proteas as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Shubman Gill is back, so I am assuming he will play. He should play the first match itself. If he plays, who will open with him? Both Ruturaj and Yashasvi are standing together and saying that they did well in the last series. Ruturaj scored a century as well, was the highest run-scorer, so he will say he should be played. However, Yashasvi is a left-hander, very attractive and aggressive, he will say he should be played. So that’s the first fight that who should be played. Difficult question, I don’t have an answer.”

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However, Aakash Chopra also stated that he is slightly tilted towards Jaiswal because he is a left-handed option. He further added that leaving Gaikwad out would be tough whereas Aakash Chopra further added that Ishan Kishan is unlikely to get a game as well.

“Then when I go slightly down the order, it seems like there is no chance at all of Ishan Kishan playing because Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma will play here. So Ishan Kishan has gone but he won’t play. I will keep a close eye on India’s selection because whoever you play in the first game, this is your duty that you play them all the matches because it is a three-match series only. So the selection of 17 players may just backfire but that’s the way it is,” Aakash Chopra concluded.