Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra on Friday picked the best cricketer for Team India in the T20Is, Tests and overall before naming the best debutant for the year. Aakash picked Rohit Sharma as the best cricketer for 2021 having picked him as best batsman in Tests and T20Is for this calendar year and named Axar Patel as the best debutant.
There were two contenders for the batting spot in Test cricket, the other being Rishabh Pant, who played two sensational knocks, both in the fourth innings against Australia earlier this year. But Aakash picked Rohit, who scored 906 runs in 21 innings at 48.19 with two centuries and four fifties. The veteran cricketer admitted that 2021 will be remain a pivotal year for Rohit as it showed a different side of his batting in Test cricket. Aakash was particularly impressed with Rohit's performance in the England tour earlier this summer, where he scored 497 runs, facing 1136 deliveries, at 45.18 with a century and three fifties.
"From an Indian standpoint, we have Rishabh Pant. He was the one who helped India conquer Gabba and he even scored in Sydney. But my Test batter of the year is Rohit Sharma. And when Test cricket's history will be written, and 2021 will be remembered as the pivotal year for Rohit Sharma as a Test cricketer. The year showed that he has finally fallen in love with the format. He has learned how to defend the ball, and leave the ball. He scored runs in difficult English conditions. The Chennai knock in the second innings - he was on one side and the rest of the players were on the different side altogether - that was the quality of his batting. We still have one more Test match to go, but without a doubt, he has to be my Test batter of the year," he said speaking on his YouTube channel.
Aakash then picked Ravichandran Ashwin as the best Test bowler. The off-spinner picked 52 wickets (most in 2021) at just 16.2 and also became India's third-highest wicket-taker surpassing Harbhajan Singh. What impressed Aakash was that Ashwin became the lead wicket-taker in 2021 despite sitting out of the two Tests in Australia and the three in England.
"We had Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah is also there. But my Test bowler of the year will be Ravichandran Ashwin. He did not play at the Gabba and missed the England tour, hence missing five Tests in 2021. He also scored runs as a batsman, notched up a century as well. But here I'm talking about Ashwin the bowler, who has picked 52 wickets in 8 Tests. Had he played those five Tests, he would have taken 70 wickets. He has been sensational and he will eventually surpass Kapil Dev's tally as well," he said.
Aakash then named Rohit as the best T20I batsman before naming him as the best cricketer in 2021. He also picked Jasprit Bumrah as the best bowler in the format.
"Kl Rahul? But he didn't score that many runs. Neither did Virat Kohli. Suryakumar Yadav is also there. Ishan Kishan played a couple of good knocks. But if you just look at the numbers and the impact and the performances, it's once again, Rohit Sharma. And this year has been different because his strike rate has improved significantly and so did his average. And he has also been made the T20I skipper. He has indeed been the best T20I batter. This is the year of Rohit Sharma. In fact, if you ask me to pick the best player from 2021, I would go with Rohit."
Aakash signed off picking left-arm spinner Axar Patel as the best debutant for 2021. Having made his maiden Test appearance in home series against England, Axar picked 36 wickets in five Tests at just 11.86 with five five-wicket hauls.
"Axar has changed the way India have played Test cricket. He picked five five-wicket hauls in five Tests. Even Don Bradman didn't score five centuries in five Tests. And it's equivalent of that. Not just India, he has been the overall best debutant in 2021."