Piyush Chawla. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Former Indian leg spinner, Piyush Chawla recently picked his all-time India ODI XI. Chawla opted for the opening duo of legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. The middle order consists of Virender Sehwag, slated at number three.
Following him is the modern-day great Virat Kohli who provides the backbone to the innings. The versatile Yuvraj Singh adds a left-handed option to the mix, equally skillful at dismantling bowling attacks or chipping in with crucial overs.
The former spinner chose MS Dhoni as the wicketkeeper and the captain of this dream team. Dhoni’s ability to finish games along with his tactical acumen makes him the ideal leader for this star-studded line-up.
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The all-rounder’s slot belongs to none other than legendary Kapil Dev. His aggressive batting and skillful fast bowling were instrumental in India’s 1983 World Cup victory. The spin department consists of the formidable duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. Kumble’s accuracy and Harbhajan’s off-spin have collectively bamboozled batters across eras, forming a spin attack that could wreak havoc on any surface.
Rounding off this dream team are the pacers, Chawla picked one of the best pacers India has produced, Zaheer Khan, and his final player was Jasprit Bumrah.
The 35-year-old recently shared an interesting story about current India skipper, Sharma about the bond the two share on and off the field. The spin wizard mentioned that the veteran opener called him at 2:30 in the night to discuss a plan about dismissing Australian batter David Warner.
“I’ve played so much cricket with him that we’ve reached a comfort level. We sit off the field as well. Once, at 2:30 in the night, he texted me and asked, “you up?” He drew a field on paper and discussed with me about potentially dismissing Warner. Even at that time, he was thinking about how he could get the best out of me,” Chawla was quoted as saying to YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast.
Piyush Chawla’s All-time India XI
Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah And Zaheer Khan