Former cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has named India’s probable playing XI for the upcoming Test match against England, endorsing Shubman Gill at No. 4. He also backed Nitish Kumar Reddy and included Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal in his lineup.
Chopra shared his insights in a video on his YouTube channel, where he discussed the team combination he believes can give England a tough fight on their home turf. Starting with the top order, he suggested KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opening pair, highlighting their performances in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
“I am going with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to open. One doesn’t have to think much — both did well in the BGT. This will be Yashasvi’s first tour of England, so I really hope he does well. The last England tour was good for KL Rahul, but you cannot start a tour well and finish poorly,” Chopra said.
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At No. 3, Chopra suggested that either Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal could be slotted in, slightly favoring Padikkal due to his recent experience in Test cricket.
“At No. 3, it could be either Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal. Maybe Devdutt is ahead in the race because he was seen playing recently in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and debuted in Dharamsala. Sai Sudharsan is a slightly out-of-the-box pick, but he could play at No. 3 given the excellent form he’s in,” Chopra explained.
Shubman Gill Backed to Bat at No. 4 and Lead Team India
The most important position in India’s batting order, according to Chopra, will be No. 4 — where he placed Shubman Gill. He believes Gill can settle into that spot long-term and also suggested that he could be India’s next Test captain.
“This means captain Shubman Gill will go to No. 4. Firstly, I’m saying he will become the captain — that’s what the reports are suggesting. I see him going down the order. This is where he will settle, as a No. 4 batter for India in Test matches,” he noted.
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Aakash Chopra’s probable playing 11 of the India tour of England tests.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan/Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammad Shami/Prasidh Krishna
