Veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who last represented India in an ODI in 2012, has unveiled his all-time India ODI XI. In an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Chawla named legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni as the captain of his dream team.
At the top of the order, Chawla opted for the iconic Sachin Tendulkar and current India skipper Rohit Sharma as openers. Surprisingly, he placed Virender Sehwag at number three, demoting Virat Kohli to the fourth position.
In the middle order, Chawla selected Yuvraj Singh and Kapil Dev, the captain of India’s maiden ODI World Cup triumph in 1983, as his all-rounders. Dhoni’s presence at number six further bolstered the batting lineup.
For the bowling department, Chawla chose two spinners, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, and two pacers, one each from the past and present teams. He picked Jasprit Bumrah to partner 2011 World Cup-winner Zaheer Khan.
Chawla also shared his admiration for Rohit Sharma’s leadership qualities. “He’s not just a captain, he’s a leader,” Chawla said. “He sets the tone and makes it easy for the other batters. He gives you a free hand.”
