Former Indian cricketer and now commentator Aakash Chopra has surprised everyone by selecting his all-time India Test XI.
Many legends got a place in this list, but the biggest shock was that superstars like Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni were not included in it.
Yes, Rishabh Pant has been selected in place of Dhoni, and this decision has become a big topic of discussion on social media.
Pant’s explosive entry
Aakash announced this dream team on his YouTube channel. He chose Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag for opening. He described Gavaskar’s class and Sehwag’s aggression as the perfect combination.
The names of Rahul Dravid at number 3 and Sachin Tendulkar at number 4 are as if written in stone. There is no debate, Virat Kohli was given a place at number 5, whom Aakash also made the captain.
But choosing Pant instead of Dhoni at number 6 was really surprising.
Akash said, “Earlier I had chosen Dhoni, but now look at Pant. 8 centuries and 3200 runs in 44 Tests at the age of 25! This boy is shining like gold.”
Dhoni scored 4876 runs in 90 Tests, but Akash liked Pant’s strength and aggressive style in Tests more.
From Kapil Dev to Bumrah
Kapil Dev was chosen at number 7, whose 434 wickets and more than 5000 runs need no introduction. After this, the pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Anil Kumble were included in the spin department.
Akash said, “Kumble’s 600+ wickets and Ashwin’s all-round performance, amazing!”
Jasprit Bumrah and Zaheer Khan got a place in the fast bowling. Bumrah’s speed and Zaheer’s swing made this XI even sharper.
Why were Dhoni and Rohit left out?
Both Rohit and Dhoni have been superstars of white-ball cricket, but their record in Tests is not that bright. Rohit has some great innings in Tests, but Aakash did not give him a chance against the Gavaskar-Sehwag pair.
On the other hand, Dhoni’s captaincy and wicketkeeping may have been excellent, but Pant’s record in Tests is still more impressive.
Aakash’s All-Time India Test XI
Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli (captain), Rishabh Pant, Kapil Dev, Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, Jasprit Bumrah, Zaheer Khan.
