Published 19:40 IST, April 10th 2020
Aakash Chopra names Imran Khan as skipper of all-time Indo-Pak ODI XI over Dhoni & Kohli
After forming his all-time India-Pakistan T20 XI, former Indian cricketer and current commentator Aakash Chopra picked his all-time India-Pakistan ODI XI
After forming his all-time India-Pakistan T20 XI, former Indian cricketer and current commentator Aakash Chopra picked his all-time India-Pakistan ODI XI on Friday. Chopra's playing XI consisted of some big names belonging to the neighbouring countries, however, what was surprising was the selection of the captain of his team. The commentator and cricket-analyst named former skipper and current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, as the skipper of his team over the likes of MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev and Virat Kohli.
Tendulkar, Rohit openers; Kohli at 3
Chopra picked legendary Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and 'Hitman' Rohit Sharma as his openers. For the number three position, he went with the current Indian skipper, Virat Kohli. Following Kohli, Chopra named Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and MS Dhoni as the team's middle-order batsman with MS donning the gloves.
Legendary skippers of the arch-rivals and World Cup-winning captain, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev were the all-rounders in Chopra's all-time ODI XI.
Chopra picked an all-Pakistan bowling attack in his team. While Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis led the pace attack, Saqlain Mushtaq was the lone spinner in the side. Another surprise element in Chopra's team was his choice for the 12th man. The commentator picked 2011 ICC World Cup Man of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh as the 12th man in his team and the second spin option.
Aakash Chopra opens up on Dhoni's future
In his recent video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra stated that if MS Dhoni wants to make a comeback, he will, IPL will not be critical for him. "For a player like Dhoni, IPL was never going to be a yardstick," said Chopra in his video. Furthermore, he added, "Dhoni knows what he is doing. I don't think IPL was a critical fixture for him. If he wants to come back, he will make himself available. His experience is too valuable. So if the Indian team wants MS for the T20 World Cup, they will get him. So if MS wants to come, he will come."
Updated 19:40 IST, April 10th 2020