Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra predicted early about the next possible big thing in the upcoming IPL 2026 mini auction. His prediction came during the 3rd ODI match between India and Australia (AUS vs IND 3rd ODI) at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Chopra picked up one of the eleven players from the current Australia playing combination, who can fetch a lot of attention during the mini auction. 

Team India stepped into the SCG after losing two matches back-to-back. Before the Sydney match, the ODI series was already captured by the home team, which makes the remaining match a dead rubber for them. But for India, it is a prestige fight. They have to win the match to save their reputations. 

For most of the series so far, bowlers were the ones who dominated the matches more. But there is a certain Australian all-rounder, who impressed Aakash Chopra the most. The Aussie all-rounder is none other than Cooper Connolly. The 22-year-old all-rounder has been promising in the series against a power-packed team in India. According to the former opener-turned cricket expert and commentator, Connolly can attract a lot of attention during the upcoming IPL mini auction. 

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22-year-old Australian allrounder to become next big thing in IPL?

"Cooper Connnolly is going to attract a lot of attention in the IPL Mini-Auction," Chopra said this through his social media post. 

Cooper Connnolly is going to attract a lot of attention in the IPL Mini-Auction
💰 💰💰

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 25, 2025

The Perth-born batting all-rounder has quickly climbed the ladder to represent the Australia cricket team. During the second match of the ongoing series, he played an unbeaten 61-run knock against India for a winning cause. In the third match, when Australia went to bat first on a fresh wicket with some grass, their middle order was lacking confidence. Connolly then showed his skills and resilience and added 23 important runs to help his team to register a fightable total on the board. 

DLS played a vital role in the India vs Australia 1st ODI match in Perth. Due to rain, the 50-over match was cut short, and in the end, it was a clinical win for the home side. Team India found no match to counter the Aussie game plan. After the match, where Australia won by 7 wickets, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra raised a serious issue—the DLS. 

Whenever the number of overs of a match is reduced, the DLS method is used to find a winner of the match. With the method, the actual number of overs and the target total are revised. Is the process accurate enough to conclude a match? It has been a long-standing question for years. According to Chopra, the time has arrived to review the method. 

"Australia ends India’s 8-match winning streak in ODI. Australia was indeed a better side on the day, but DLS needs a serious relook," Aakash Chopra wrote in this 'X' post. 

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Australia ends India’s 8-match winning streak in ODI.
Australia were indeed a better side on the day but DLS needs a serious relook. #AusvInd

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 19, 2025

Why did Aakash Chopra criticize the DLS method? 

Because of repeated rain interruption, the match on Sunday was reduced to only 26 overs. When Australia went to bat in the second innings, they had a reduced total of 131 runs in front of them because of the DLS formula, while India scored 136 runs in 26 overs in the first innings. Though Australia won the match as the most deserving side of the evening. 

Apart from Axar Patel (31) and KL Rahul (38), no other Indian batter was able to touch the 20-run mark on an individual basis. Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Owen, and Matthew Kuhnemann claimed a brace each. Captain Mitchell Marsh (46*) guided his team to a comfortable win from the front. Josh Philippe (37) and Matt Renshaw (21*) provided him the required support. The Indian bowling lineup without Jasprit Bumrah was not able to do enough to trouble the chasing side. 

As India prepares to face off against Australia in the first ODI of a three-match series at Optus Stadium, Perth, former cricketer Aakash Chopra has released his predicted India XI with some surprising selections. This match will signal the beginning of Shubman Gill’s era of captaincy in ODIs, as the national team begins its process of building a new core for the 2027 World Cup (in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe).

Chopra believes that India will go for experience at the top, naming Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as the openers, with Virat Kohli in at 3. With the middle order consisting of Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain and KL Rahul as first-choice wicketkeeper, this means that young Yashasvi Jaiswal will likely miss out on the opening match.

With Hardik Pandya unavailable due to injury, Chopra suggested taking a chance on Nitish Kumar Reddy in the lower middle order. To maintain balance, he named Axar Patel and Washington Sundar as spin-bowling all-rounders, which surprisingly drops Kuldeep Yadav from the XI, despite his superb performance in the Asia Cup 2025, where he was the tournament's leading wicket-taker after taking 17 wickets.

Who makes the cut in @cricketaakash's playing XI for India’s 1st ODI vs Australia? 🤔

What’s your take? Tell us your ideal XI in the comments! 👇✍️#AUSvIND 👉🏻 1st ODI | SUN, 19th OCT on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/QKfuQqwuRp

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 15, 2025

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Chopra's Take on Bowlers and Team Balance

Chopra asserted that they only missed out on Kuldeep to add depth to India's batting and keep the option open for changes on a fast wicket in Perth. He added that Axar and Washington could bat and provide some control in the middle overs, which could be extremely valuable in Australian conditions.

On the bowling side, with Jasprit Bumrah rested, Chopra opted for a pace attack of Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and the newly introduced Harshit Rana—who had recently been defended by head coach Gautam Gambhir after critics questioned the team selection.  Prasidh Krishna will be sitting on the bench for the opening match of the series.

Aakash Chopra's predicted XI:

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.

India’s young opener Sai Sudharsan missed out on a maiden Test century by just 13 runs on Day 1 of the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The left-hander scored a composed 87 off 165 deliveries, but a lapse in judgment cost him his wicket as he was trapped leg-before-wicket by Jomel Warrican.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra analyzed Sudharsan’s dismissal during a discussion on Star Sports, suggesting that the youngster’s limited red-ball experience led to his downfall. Chopra pointed out that Sudharsan might have comfortably dealt with that kind of delivery in white-ball cricket, but the challenge of Test cricket demands a different mindset.

“He doesn’t have sizeable performances in first-class cricket. So he is still a work in progress. When you score 700 runs quickly in the IPL and then play Test cricket, you realize it’s a very different job. His selection in Tests is inspired,  not just because of weight of runs but because of potential,” Chopra explained.

The cricketer-turned-analyst elaborated further, saying: “It was a first-day pitch, but the ball hit the pads because it was an error of judgment or planning. You negotiate that ball very easily in white-ball cricket, but red-ball cricket tests your patience and decision-making.”

Chopra added that Sudharsan, who shared a 193-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, has the temperament for long innings but still needs to adapt to the technical challenges of the longer format, especially when facing quality spin on Indian pitches.

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Parthiv Patel: “He will have to come on the front foot”

Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, who was part of the same discussion panel, echoed Chopra’s views and emphasized the importance of footwork for left-handers facing spin in Indian conditions.

“I am 100 percent convinced that he will have to come on the front foot. You won’t be able to play too much on the back foot. This is the first day’s wicket, by the second or third day, the rough will open up more. Since Sai is tall, he has to take his pad forward to negotiate the spin,” Patel said.

Patel, who also serves as the batting coach for Gujarat Titans, praised Sudharsan’s back-foot shots but cautioned that such an approach could be risky in Tests. “He has hit some beautiful fours off the back foot with a straight bat, but it still looked risky. If you have to be successful against a left-arm spinner, you have to come forward. Even if the ball hits the pad on the front foot, it’s often outside off-stump, but from the back foot, you’re always in danger,” he added.

Despite missing his century, Sai Sudharsan’s 87-run knock, which included 12 boundaries, laid a strong foundation for India as they reached 318/2 at stumps on Day 1. The youngster’s composure at the crease continues to impress, even as experts believe he’s still learning the nuances of red-ball cricket.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) star Shashank Singh appeared in former India cricketer Aakash Chopra's latest YouTube video. There, he mostly talked about himself, thinking about cricket. In the beginning of the video, Singh said about two particular shots, which he may definitely play against Jasprit Bumrah. 

Through this video, the middle-order batter expressed his desire to play for Team India. The video of Chopra and Singh is not the usual long podcast type; its duration is only 4 minutes and 45 seconds, but it's full of energy and intense, like Shashank's batting. The way he discussed the game reflects a clear vision in mind. He talked about another experienced bowler, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as well. For Singh Kumar, he has to be watchful for a couple of overs. But for Jasprit Bumrah, the batter has a clear plan in mind. 

"You have to play some particular shots against some particular bowlers. But another thing in belief is to maintain the basics of the batting. When I made 40 off runs against 16 balls against Gujarat Titans, I mostly played the proper cricketing shots like cover drive, cut shot, or flick. I can play a variety of shots, but first, I have to understand the conditions and the mindset of the bowler," Shashank Singh said. 

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Shashank Singh prefers two shots against Jasprit Bumrah 

"If I face Jasprit Bumrah, he's not going to pitch a length delivery. Either he will deliver a yorker or a short-length ball. Then I've only two options—an uppercut for the bouncer and a lap shot for the yorker-length delivery," he added. 

In the final match of IPL 2025 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the right-handed batter played an unbeaten 61 runs, but his effort was in vain. In 14 IPL 2025 innings, he scored 350 runs at an amazing batting average of 50.00. 

In Aakash Chopra's latest YouTube video, Shashank Singh was his guest. In the quick-paced video, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter talked about multiple aspects of cricket. The middle-order clarifies that he wants to represent India. 

During a brief conversation with former India cricketer Aakash Chopra, Shashank said that he definitely wants to play for India, but probably not in Test cricket. During the conversation Shashank was clear about his thoughts and opinions. He is now 33 and a lot more mature as a cricketer; he wants to play for Team India mainly for the limited overs format. 

The PBKS star described that for him, Test cricket means a combination of patience, temperament, and fitness. Shashank is a more attacking batsman and treats himself as an all-rounder, so he thinks that rather than a multi-day match, white-ball cricket is good for him, where he can play with dominance. 

Read More: Watch: Prabhsimran Singh's practice video with Yuvraj Singh after scoring century for India A

Shashank Singh explains why he prefers to play white ball cricket

"I want to bat with a certain strike rate and want to dominate. In red ball cricket, there is also scope for dominance, but there is a demand for good patience and dominance... As long as I know my game, I want only to dominate, which is not appropriate for red ball cricket. In the Ranji Trophy also I try to control myself," Shashank Singh explains why he wants to put more focus on limited-over matches. 

The dominance Singh was talking about during the episode was reflected during the IPL 2025, when PBKS qualified for the final match after a remarkable performance in the group stage. In the final match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the right-handed batter played an unbeaten 61 runs, but his effort was in vain. In 14 IPL 2025 innings, he scored 350 runs at an amazing batting average of 50.00. 

The low attendance of the fans during the opening Test of the two-match series against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was a concern for the BCCI. Many reckoned that the opening day was empty, perhaps due to Dusshera, but the numbers didn’t rise for the rest of the contest.

The former Indian opening batter, Aakash Chopra, pointed out that the Ahmedabad stadium didn’t get filled like the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur was filled for the unofficial ODI between India A and Australia A. Chopra suggested that the board should host more pink-ball games and use the smaller cities like Indore, Guwahati, and Ranchi.

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“Take Test matches to smaller centers. If you don't want a tier system, that's fine, but if it is important, go to smaller centers. Play in Guwahati, Ranchi, or Indore, and the stadium will be full. Or play a pink-ball Test, as it will add some excitement because, in this form and shape, it is not about the love for the game.” Chopra expressed during a recent Instagram video.

Aakash Chopra suggests pink-ball Tests' increment for better crowd attendance in Tests

Aakash Chopra highlighted that because Ahmedabad always hosts high-profile games like the World Cup final or the IPL final, the fans were not interested in coming to the ground to see the West Indies, who are no longer a strong side in the longest format.

“People are coming to watch matches; they came to Kanpur for India A's match, they came to Delhi for a Ranji Trophy match, so they will come here too. But the chances of people coming to watch in Ahmedabad, no, there are multiple reasons. The gap between India and the West Indies is very big. Coming to watch the West Indies play seems like a laborious task. The other thing, look at the size of the stadium.” The former opener addressed.

“It has a capacity of 1,32,000. So, even if 10-15 thousand fans come, it still looks empty. Ahmedabad hosts so many big-ticket matches like the IPL final and the World Cup final, and whatnot. So, there isn't any appetite for a low-key contest like this.” Aakash Chopra concluded.

Former India batter Aakash Chopra questioned West Indies’ place in Test cricket after their poor show on Day 1 of the first Test against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 2. The team led by Roston Chase was all out for just 162 runs after choosing to bat first, lasting only two sessions.

The West Indies batters could not handle India’s strong bowling attack and lost four wickets in the first hour. Justin Greaves was the only batter to score more than 30 runs as India started their home season in a strong way.

West Indies struggle on Day 1 in Ahmedabad

The West Indies failed with the ball as well. India’s openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal played the new ball with ease. The visitors badly missed the injured Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph. At stumps on Day 1, India stood at 121-2, trailing by only 41 runs in the first innings.

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Former India batter Aakash Chopra said that West Indies lacked strength, especially in batting. He pointed out that most of their top-order batters have an average in the 20s. Only Tagenarine Chanderpaul has an average above 30, but even that is just 31.11. Chopra questioned if such numbers were good enough for Test cricket.

Call for a tier system in Test cricket

Chopra called West Indies’ batting “sub-standard” and said their decline was clear. He added that fans cannot be expected to watch five days of one-sided games. To fix this, he suggested a tier system in the World Test Championship (WTC), with two groups of six teams each, promotion, and relegation.

He noted that while upsets do happen, they are rare. Most matches are one-sided, which hurts Test cricket. Chopra also criticised the empty stands in Ahmedabad, saying the lack of crowd interest shows the problem. He argued that smaller venues should host Tests instead of big cities where people take the matches for granted.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra was disheartened not to see Abhimanyu Easwaran in the squad for the 2-match Test series against the West Indies (IND vs WI 2025). The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced India's squad for the Test series on Thursday, September 25. 

They dropped the Bengal batter from the setup, who was with the team during the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy in England. It was reported before; Easwaran can be considered as a long-time prospect. But the reality is not aligning with the claims.

Chopra felt hurt not to see the batter's name in the squad. He felt that selectors may have to choose between Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran; they decided to go with Sudharshan, who showed some glimpses of his talents during the 5-match Test series against England. The southpaw scored 140 runs at an average of 23.33 in the three tests he played against England. On the other hand, Easwaran, who is also a left-handed batsman, is yet to make his Test debut. He was with the team for a significant amount of time but has yet to get a single chance to show his talent at the highest level of cricket. 

Read More: Big blow! Star pacer rules out of IND vs WI Test series

You are not making him play at all: Chopra

"Abhimanyu Easwaran's absence pains me a little because you have kept him with the team many times, taken him around, but have not played a match. You are not making him play at all. Now he is not part of the team. There was no place for him in the playing XI," Chopra said in his YouTube video. 

"I think there would have been a toss-up in the mind between Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran. I think Sai Sudharsan has given enough glimpses for you to persist with him, and this will be the series where he will have to leave his imprint and seal the deal. So Abhimanyu Easwaran misses out, which is really unfortunate," he further added.

Even though India is just one win away from qualifying for the final of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the concern is around the form of Sanju Samson, who was pushed into the middle order of the playing eleven due to making a vacant place for Shubman Gill at the opening position with Abhishek Sharma.

The former Indian opening batter, Aakash Chopra, reckoned that for most of his T20 career, Sanju has featured at the number one, two, and three for the IPL franchise and domestic teams. And that has made it a challenge for the veteran to be part of the middle order.

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“Everybody is under the scanner, so make no mistake. But Sanju is a bit more of a course. Because he is out of his natural position, where he has actually succeeded the most. That’s 1, 2, or 3. And it’s not just limited to international cricket. Even for his franchise in the IPL, he bats at 1, 2, or 3. Any time under that, the numbers don’t really add as much.” Aakash Chopra revealed on ESPNcricinfo.

Watch: Aakash Chopra seeks longer rope for Sanju Samson in middle order during Asia Cup 2025

During this ongoing competition, Samson celebrated just one fifty during the last group-stage clash against Oman. Apart from that, he got 13 against Pakistan and couldn’t bat in the last two clashes.

🗣️ 'When you change his position, you are obliged to give him a longer rope'@cricketaakash on the Sanju Samson question #TimeOut pic.twitter.com/RcayLjl7C3

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 24, 2025

“Even when he is playing the Kerala Domestic Cricket League, he also started as number 5, 6, 7. Didn’t do much, and then he moved himself up the order and started smashing. So, that’s where Sanju has to be. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. While it’s right that the rope is generally not very long, it's also true that when you move somebody from their perfect position.” The former Delhi batter addressed.

“So to speak, you actually obliged to give him a longer rope. One small thing comes to my mind when Sourav Ganguly asked Virender Sehwag to open. The first thing he asked was whether I would be dropped if I fail. He said no. There is no place in the middle order, and that’s why we want you to open. For Sanju, you need to give him a longer rope.” Aakash Chopra concluded.