The former India cricketer Aakash Chopra did not include veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan as opener while picking India’s team for Asian Games.
India will be sending its team for the first time to the upcoming Asian Games 2023 to be held in Hangzhou from September 23-October 8. Cricket will be played at the Games for the first time since 2018 after it was introduced in 2014.
India will be sending a second-string men’s team for the cricket event, while a full-strength women’s team will travel to China. This is because the first-choice men’s team players will be busy preparing for the World Cup 2023 to be held in India.
Reports also suggested that veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan will captain the side in the Asian Games 2023.
However, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has not named the dashing left-handed batter while naming his two openers in his likely playing XI.
Aakash Chopra has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal as his first-choice opening pair. He also mentioned that Gaikwad will not be selected for the ODI World Cup squad.
“I am starting with Ruturaj Gaikwad. I feel Ruturaj Gaikwad’s name might not be there for the World Cup. Already Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma are there and then Ishan Kishan is there as an opener. Then Shreyas Iyer comes and then you have Virat Kohli. So there I feel a place might not get opened up,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
He also added that Yashasvi Jaiswal is nowhere close to being selected in the ODI lineup.
“I genuinely wish, Dinesh Karthik bats for R Ashwin to be named India’s captain for Asian Games 2023″ Aakash Chopra said
“So I am going with Ruturaj Gaikwad as an opener. He hasn’t got too many opportunities. For some reason, he is not considered your T20 batter. The second player I have picked is Yashasvi Jaiswal. Once again his career is just starting and he has not been even close to the ODI side for the last two-three years,” he added.
Aakash Chopra further named Tilak Varma as his choice for the No. 3 spot in the team.
“After that, I have kept Tilak Varma. I have kept the No. 3 spot for him here. Sai Sudharsan could have also been there but I have kept Tilak Varma because I feel he brings a lot more in man-to-man marking. He bowls a little as well“, the former opener added.
