Former India opener Aakash Chopra has made his projections for India’s playing XI for their opening game in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy against Bangladesh on February 20, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Chopra, in making observations on the lineup, hinted that Kuldeep Yadav might be in the team if Rohit Sharma has a last word in choosing the team.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will get underway on February 19, with Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi and India playing their group-stage matches in Dubai. They have the following fixtures: Bangladesh on February 20, Pakistan on February 23, and New Zealand on March 2.
Aakash Chopra supported KL Rahul as India’s wicketkeeper for the first match, preferring him to Rishabh Pant. He also pointed out that Kuldeep Yadav would be his pick to play in the playing XI over Varun Chakravarthy if Rohit Sharma has the last word in team selection. Chopra added that if head coach Gautam Gambhir gets more say in the selection, Chakravarthy might get a chance over Kuldeep.
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Talking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra made his batting lineup predictions: “Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma will open, with no doubts about Virat Kohli at No. 3. Shreyas Iyer should be at No. 4,” Chopra said. “Axar Patel, in my opinion, will bat at No. 5, with Rahul coming in at No. 6 and Hardik Pandya at No. 7. Then, I see Ravindra Jadeja taking No. 8.”
When it came to the bowling unit, Aakash Chopra was confident about Kuldeep’s inclusion, stating that if Rohit Sharma had the final say, Kuldeep would make the cut. “However, if Gautam has more influence on the team selection, Varun Chakravarthy could be preferred. But I’m personally backing Kuldeep Yadav,” Chopra added.
Chopra also laid stress on the role of Arshdeep Singh in the playing eleven. He opined that Arshdeep would most certainly be included in the playing XI, and if Mohammed Shami is in good form, he would even share the new ball with Arshdeep.
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“If Shami is not in his best form, Harshit Rana might come in. Rana is not too strong with the new ball, but he has been very important in the middle and death overs,” concluded Aakash Chopra. With such a balanced lineup, Chopra’s forecasts have generated anticipation for India’s opening match, in which they will aim to start the tournament on a high note.
