Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra said Ravi Bishnoi has virtually cemented his place in India’s squad for next year’s T20 World Cup as well. Bishnoi, with nine wickets, was the leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded T20I series between India and Australia. He has picked up 34 wickets at an economy rate of 7.14 in 21 T20Is.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “I personally feel it’s almost a done deal. I feel his name will be there because of the way he is bowling and the number of wickets he is picking. He is consistent. He is a wicket-taker and bowls with the new ball. The matches will be in America and the West Indies. Slightly quick in the air on slow pitches – I think he will bring value. The kid fields well and he is very accurate as a wrist-spinner. I feel if he keeps bowling like this and has a decent IPL, he is a done deal.”

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However, Ravi Bishnoi will likely compete for a place with Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for the wrist-spinner’s position for the marquee event as well. While Bishnoi and Kuldeep have been named in India’s T20I squad for the South Africa tour, Chahal has been dropped for the shortest format but is part of the ODI squad as well.

“Firstly, he is an excellent player. Secondly, the number at which he bats, very few players bat at that number even for their franchise. It’s a huge list – Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer and even Hardik Pandya – everyone bats in the top order. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad – no one wants to go down the order. If everyone will play in the top 4, who will play at No. 5 and No. 6? This problem comes when you go to the World Cup or any other big tournament straight from the IPL. You ask who will play down the order,” Aakash Chopra concluded.