Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has named five players from the Indian team who can be at their best in the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. There are a lot of players in the squad who don't feature in the team regularly, in fact, a few will be wearing the Indian jersey for the first time.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal hasn't played an ODI match for India this year and he is back with his spin-bowling partner Kuldeep Yadav. The explosive opener Prithvi Shaw would also be looking to make the opportunity count on this tour.
The new faces like Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Sakariya are also among the players who can leave an impact.
ALSO READ: SL v IND 2021: ODI series to get underway on July 18, confirms BCCI Secretary Jay Shah
Chopra shortlisted five names to watch out on the Sri Lanka tour and he said, "The first name on my list is someone who has never played international cricket. His name is Varun Chakravarthy. If we see the Indian bowling department, a mystery spinner is not there. Once you have a mystery spinner, you feel your bowling is complete.
"The second player I am thinking about is Prithvi Shaw. Given the form he is in, 2021 is his year. He can leave anyone behind when he is batting, you can put any Indian batsman at the other end. If he shines, that will be fantastic."
After Chakravarthy and Shaw, Chopra picked Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Chahar, and one of the wicket-keeper batsmen in Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.
"At number three, I have kept Suryakumar Yadav. He has been absolutely sensational, there is no doubt about that. The ability to bat both up and down the order separates him from the rest. He has got the all-round game," Chopra said on his Youtube channel.
"At number four, I have kept Deepak Chahar. Generally, he always plays in the T20s but if we see the last series, he was in the team but was not given a chance. He is the same bowler who has the world record. He can do well in the ODIs as well.
"Last but not the least, there is a toss-up between Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson. When you see towards the Indian team, you have KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the wicket-keeper options, but you might need an additional batsman."
The limited-overs series has been rescheduled after COVID-19 cases in the Sri Lankan team's camp. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that the ODI series will kick-start on July 18.
