"Why have you got someone into the team after 3 years?" - Aakash Chopra on whether he sees Varun Chakaravarthy playing IND vs BAN 2024 1st T20I

Aakash Chopra reckons Varun Chakaravarthy should ideally be a part of India's playing XI for the first T20I against Bangladesh as he is making a comeback after three years. However, he pointed out that it might be difficult to accommodate the mystery spinner in the XI.

The Men in Blue will face the Bangla Tigers in three T20Is, with the first game to be played in Gwalior on Sunday, October 6. Apart from Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar are the frontline spinners in India's 15-member squad.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked whether he sees India playing Chakaravarthy in the first T20I.

"It's a very simple thing. Why have you got someone into the team after three years? You have brought him back to play him. So play him as you want to play him. A slight problem will be in whose place would you play him because there is a pecking order," he responded (2:40).

The former India opener reckons Bishnoi should be ahead of Chakaravarthy in the specialist spinners' pecking order.

"Ravi Bishnoi has been your regular T20 bowler for a very long time. You didn't take him for the World Cup but Ravi Bishnoi has been slightly ahead on that list. You will be able to play Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar and Varun Chakaravarthy if you drop a fast bowler," Chopra observed.

Chopra added that one of the spinners has to be left out if India field three frontline seamers.

"If you play three fast bowlers, where Mayank (Yadav), Harshit (Rana) and Arshdeep (Singh) play, you won't be able to play three spinners. Then you will have to leave one of them out. I know it is going to be difficult," he said.

It remains to be seen if India play five frontline bowlers in the first T20I against Bangladesh. They could go with only four specialist bowlers as they have the option to play both Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy as seam-bowling all-rounders.

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"I won't be surprised if Varun Chakaravarthy plays once again but I would play Ravi Bishnoi ahead of him" - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Gautam Gambhir's presence as India's head coach might favor Varun Chakaravarthy's inclusion in the playing XI. However, he cast his vote for Ravi Bishnoi if the hosts have to choose between the two spinners.

"Ravi Bishnoi is ahead on my list but I won't be surprised if Washington Sundar also plays, and Varun Chakaravarthy plays along with them for the simple reason that he has recently won the trophy for KKR and is making a comeback after three years," he said (3:20) in the same video.

"The coach has also seen him very closely while doing well for KKR. I won't be surprised if Varun Chakaravarthy plays once again but I would play Ravi Bishnoi ahead of him," Chopra added.

Chakaravarthy, who is making a comeback after three years, has picked up only two wickets, albeit at an excellent economy rate of 5.86, in six T20Is. Bishnoi has proved more potent, accounting for 48 dismissals at an economy rate of 7.29 in 32 T20Is.