Amidst the ongoing T20 World Cup 2025, the former India opener Aakash Chopra has revealed India’s all-time T20I superstar, and he is not either Suryakumar Yadav or Yuvraj Singh.
Yuvraj Singh dominates among India’s T20I legends
In the latest series of rapid-fire rounds on ESPNCricinfo, Chopra picked Indian stars based on their impact, consistency, and ability to shine in crunch situations in T20I cricket when asked to pick the best in a head-to-head battle between legends and modern stars.
The cricket pandit has picked the legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh over legends like Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, and Yusuf Pathan, highlighting the two-time World Cup winner’s match-winning abilities in the format.
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Suryakumar Yadav picked over MS Dhoni!!
Yuvraj’s knack for big shots and finishing games under pressure made him Chopra’s top choice in multiple head-to-heads. Then came the former Indian captain MS Dhoni, whose calmness, finishing skills, and experience were outclassed by Yuvraj by Chopra.
Dhoni’s impact both as captain and finisher and wicketkeeper is undeniable. He consistently performed in tight situations. Chopra then moved to the modern stars. In a clash of contemporary talent, Suryakumar Yadav emerged ahead of Dhoni, showcasing his explosive batting and ability to turn games around in a few overs in the shortest format of the game.
Chopra named Virat Kohli as India’s all-time best T20I batter
India’s T20 captain’s innovative shot-making made him everyone’s favorite. Further, Chopra gave Hardik Pandya the edge over KL Rahul and even Dhoni, praising his all-round abilities and clutch performances in the format. Chopra called Hardik a “clutch player.”
The former Indian batter also acknowledged Rohit Sharma’s consistency and Virat Kohli’s sheer dominance, but he eventually crowned the Delhi lad as India’s best-ever T20I batter. Kohli’s numerous match-winning knocks for India make him a legend in the shortest format.
Watch till the end to find out who is India’s best T20I batter of all time according to Aakash Chopra 👀 pic.twitter.com/fREE2G9SK6
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 15, 2026
Aakash Chopra shares secret plan to trap Sahibzada Farhan
Earlier, Aakash Chopra shared a smart strategy for the Men in Blue ahead of their high-voltage T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday, February 15.
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Chopra noted that Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has been in excellent form in the tournament, scoring 120 runs at a strike rate of 166.67 in just two innings.
But Chopra noticed a key weakness in Farhan, saying he rarely scores on the off side between cover and third man, so he advised the Indian bowlers to block that area, build pressure, and force Farhan to take risks elsewhere in the high-voltage game.
Point and third-man region: Sahibzada’s weakness
Chopra said on his YouTube channel, “Let’s see how you can trap Sahibzada Farhan. There is no doubt that Sahibzada Farhan hits sixes. However, the thing that has gotten hidden is where the ball was bowled when he was absolutely quiet. He goes quiet against everyone in that area. He makes a solid base, opens up his body a little, and hits very well on the leg side.”
He added, “So where should you bowl to him? The game plan for him will be where he doesn’t score runs at all. He doesn’t score runs in the point and third-man region. He neither plays drives towards cover nor does he play the cut that well. Whoever has bowled in that channel has been absolutely quiet. So, you need to actually bowl to him there, slightly wider.”
