Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned the Team India’s plans for KL Rahul after the first ODI against England. He further added that the veteran batter was demoted in the batting order just because a leftarm spinner and a leg-spinner were there in the playing XI.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “What are we going to do with Rahul? It’s an important talking point. It’s slightly intriguing. Jacob Bethell and Adil Rashid were bowling. So you didn’t send Rahul, okay fine, but you played Rahul ahead of Pant. However, are you going to show that much faith in Rahul? You haven’t done that thus far because there were three matches in Sri Lanka, the first match got tied, you lost the second match, and you dropped him in the third match. Rishabh Pant played in the third match.”

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In the same video, Aakash Chopra also said that India could have played KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant together in the first ODI against England as Virat Kohli was ruled out of the game as well.

“There was an opportunity here to play both of them together. If you needed a left-hander, you could have sent Rishabh Pant first, and then KL Rahul could have followed. If a left-arm spinner or a leg-spinner comes, you will send Rahul too low in trying to maintain a left-right combination. KL Rahul was dropped the last time he played white-ball cricket, and he hasn’t played white-ball cricket after that. He was dropped in Test cricket as well and then you made him open and after that, you sent him down the order. You should have allowed him to play now. You would have at least come to know whether he is in form or not,” Aakash Chopra concluded.