Aakash Chopra picks his ideal Punjab Kings XI for IPL 2021, leaves out ₹8 crore buy

IPL 2021: Riley Meredith was bought by the franchise at the auction for ₹8 crore, and he was the most expensive uncapped overseas player at the auctions this year. But he was not included in Aakash Chopra's ideal playing XI for Punjab Kings.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes Punjab Kings should continue to go with KL Rahul and Chris Gayle as openers, while Mayank Agarwal should bat at no. 3. Rahul and Mayank were tremendous in the opening slots for Punjab last season, but an injury to the latter, made way for Chris Gayle to take the opening slot, and he too performed at the top with the bat.

Aakash Chopra. (Twitter)

Chopra also added that adding allrounder Moises Henriques in the playing XI will give balance to PBK's middle-order.

"I will be going with KL Rahul and Gayle as the openers, Mayank Agarwal at No.3, Pooran at No.4, Hooda at No.5, and Moises Henriques at No.6. You should please play Henriques as he will add that balance to your side," Chopra said in a video uploaded on his Youtube channel.

"At No.7, you can have anyone. You can play Shahrukh, Mandeep, or Sarfaraz - whoever you play it won't make any difference. But if you have this kind of batting, you can play with a lot of freedom, something that they should do this season," Chopra added.

Surprisingly, Australia's T20 fast bowler Riley Meredith was not named in Chopra's ideal playing XI for Punjab Kings. Meredith was bought by the franchise at the auction for ₹8 crore, and he was the most expensive uncapped overseas player at the auctions this year.

"Then four bowlers - Ashwin, Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, and Jhye Richardson. This will be my team, if you feel that you need to play one less spinner, you have Arshdeep as an option available," said Chopra.

Punjab Kings will open their campaign in IPL 2021 against Rajasthan Royals on April 12th.