"In all likelihood, Yashasvi will be asked to sit out" - Aakash Chopra expects Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma to open in IND vs AFG T20Is

Aakash Chopra expects Shubman Gill to play ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal as Rohit Sharma's opening partner in India's upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan.

The Men in Blue will face Ibrahim Zadran and company in three T20Is, with the first game to be played in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. Gill, Jaiswal and Rohit are the three specialist openers in the 16-member Indian squad picked by the selectors on Sunday.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Gill might pip Jaiswal to the opening position. He reasoned (6:40):

"Interestingly enough, KL Rahul's name is not there in this team. There will be a fight for the opening position because Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma are all there. So one of them will have to sit out."

The former India opener added:

"In all likelihood, Yashasvi will be asked to sit out, and Rohit and Gill will open because Gill is a senior member. Seniority-wise, he is ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal. He fluctuates a little too much in the T20 format, that is also a fact."

Gill and Jaiswal opened for India in the recent T20I series against South Africa. While the Punjab right-hander managed only eight runs in two innings, the Mumbai southpaw played a 60-run knock in the final T20I after being dismissed for a duck in the previous game.

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"There can be a discussion on that" - Aakash Chopra on KL Rahul's omission from India's squad

KL Rahul impressed as a wicketkeeper-batter in the 2023 ODI World Cup. [P/C: Getty]

Aakash Chopra reckons KL Rahul's non-selection for the T20I series against Afghanistan is debatable. He said:

"Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were India's top three in the 2022 World Cup. Among them, KL Rahul has been dropped or has not been picked, there is no clarity, but he is not there. There can be a discussion on that as well."

Chopra pointed out that the Karnataka player could have played the wicketkeeper-batter's role in the middle order like he has been doing in ODIs and even in Tests lately. He elaborated:

"His strike rate in T20Is is more than 135, so that is not bad. There are no vacant opening positions in any case, and you play him in the middle in ODIs as well, so you could have done that here too. You play him down the order even in Tests now. However, you said you need to make some change at least."

Rahul has amassed 2265 runs in 68 T20I innings at an excellent average of 37.75 and an equally impressive strike rate of 139.12. However, he has never played below No. 4 in T20Is and might have to showcase his prowess in the middle order in IPL 2024 if he harbors hopes of being a part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad.