Aakash Chopra backs KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant for ODIs
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has thrown his weight behind KL Rahul as India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter for the upcoming ODI series against England.
The series, which will kick-off on Thursday, February 6 in Nagpur, is a precursor to the Champions Trophy 2025.
In a recent YouTube video, Chopra was asked to pick between Rahul and Pant for this all-important role.
Consistent performance
Chopra highlights Rahul's consistent performance
Chopra emphasized that Rahul has been doing well and hasn't done anything wrong to be dropped.
He said, "What goes in KL Rahul's favor is what wrong has he done. Just because his name is Rahul, will you keep drumming him?"
The statement highlights Chopra's faith in Rahul's ability and how the player shouldn't be ignored due to outside factors.
Past performance
Chopra recalls Rahul's impressive performance in 2023 World Cup
Chopra also recalled Rahul's brilliant showing as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
He particularly spoke about the Australia match at Chepauk where India were down to 25/3 and Rahul became the Player of the Match.
Despite being criticized for his slow batting in the final, Chopra defended him saying, "We might not have reached where we reached if he had gotten out instead of batting slow."
Continuity favored
Chopra chooses continuity over change for upcoming series
In the same video, Chopra also revealed that he would prefer KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant in the upcoming ODI series between India and England.
"I am going with KL Rahul. I am going with continuity," he said.
This statement indicates that Chopra prefers consistency and past performance over potential when it comes to picking players for important matches.