‘Let’s be honest, they’re not far’: Aakash Chopra backs two dynamic batsmen to make debuts in England series

The players whom Aakash Chopra envisions playing for India in the limited-overs leg against England are Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, the Mumbai Indians duo who missed the ticket to Australia.

The Indian cricket team has a packed schedule ahead. Right after they finish playing the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India head back home and ready themselves to host a confident England cricket team. The tour, which comprises four Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is will get underway from February 5, followed by the T20Is and then ODIs.

Ishan Kishan (Twitter)

It may be early days but the players who may be in consideration are already part of a hot topic, and former India opening batsman Aakash Chopra has backed two players in particular to get selected for the home series. The players whom Chopra envisions playing for India in the limited-overs leg against England are Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, the Mumbai Indians duo who missed the ticket to Australia.

While there’s time before the selection panel sits down to pick the team, Chopra feels considering the number of injuries Indian players are sustaining, it won’t be long before Suryakumar and Kishan get a look in.

“So both Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are knocking the doors and considering the number of our players that are getting injured, I feel they might even get to play against England,” Chopra said on a video uploaded on his Facebook account.

“Let’s be honest, they are not that far. Because Samson got a chance but he could not make use of that. Shreyas Iyer is also going 50-50, his Australian tour has not been that great, in fact I will call it a slightly disappointing tour.”

Kishan was the highest scorer for Mumbai Indians in a campaign that saw them lift the IPL title in back-to-back years – their fifth championship overall, while Suryakumar burned up the charts with 480 runs including four half-centuries and often bailing his side out of trouble with meaningful contributions in the middle order. Many former players had expressed disappointment when Suryakumar wasn’t picked for the tour of Australia, but Chopra is confident the time isn’t far for the Mumbai batsman.

“I don’t think both of them are too far but if they have another good IPL, which they had in IPL 2020 and if even the 2021 edition goes good, then you will definitely see them play international cricket,” he said.