Aakash Chopra picks the top 5 new opening pairs in IPL 2025, keeps Virat Kohli and Phil Salt at No. 2

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked his top five new opening pairs in IPL 2025. He kept the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opening duo of Virat Kohli and Phil Salt in the second position.

Most teams have new opening combinations in IPL 2025 after the sides underwent an overhaul in the mega auction. Chopra didn't consider the Gujarat Titans' (GT) Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan and the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head while making his picks as they were existing opening pairs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener chose the Punjab Kings' Priyansh Arya (346 runs at a strike rate of 196.59 in 10 innings) and Prabhsimran Singh (346 runs at a strike rate of 165.55 in 10 innings) as the best new opening pair in IPL 2025, followed by Kohli (443 runs at a strike rate of 138.77 in 10 innings) and Salt (239 runs at a strike rate of 168.30 in nine innings).

"At No. 1, I have kept an uncapped Indian pair. It was an unlikely pair. All of us had slight doubts about it as well. Who plays with two uncapped Indians? Chennai are also doing that now. Priyansh Arya has scored a century and Prabhsimran Singh has played many good knocks, including yesterday. Priyansh Arya is looking very calm and composed, and looking his own," Chopra said.

"At No. 2, I have got the RCB openers - Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. Both have done the job very well together. They have won matches. Phil has missed out on one or two matches for sure, but when he plays, he allows Virat Kohli to be. He allows Kohli to play and says he will take care of it," he added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) Aiden Markram (335 runs at a strike rate of 147.57 in 10 innings) and Mitchell Marsh (378 runs at a strike rate of 158.82 in nine innings) are the third-best opening duo in IPL 2025.

"At No. 3, I have got Markram and Marsh. I liked this opening combination a lot. Both have done well and scored runs consistently. They are two overseas openers, which generally teams don't have. The team is alive because of them and Nicholas Pooran," Chopra observed.

RCB and PBKS, helped by their openers' performances, occupy the top two positions in the IPL 2025 points table. Despite Markram and Marsh's impressive contributions, LSG are placed sixth in the standings.

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"It may change as we go forward" - Aakash Chopra picks Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal at No. 4 among the best new opening pairs in IPL 2025

Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal have opened for RR in just three games. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra chose the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Vaibhav Suryavanshi (151 runs at a strike rate of 215.71 in three innings) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (426 runs at a strike rate of 152.68 in 10 innings) as the fourth-best new opening pair in IPL 2025.

"At No. 4, I have kept Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal for now. It may change as we go forward. Sanju Samson was opening earlier. So it's a very new opening pair, but they have rocked as soon as they started. Vaibhav Suryavanshi has scored a hundred and Yashasvi Jaiswal has regained his form. Both together alone beat the Gujarat Titans," he said.

The analyst kept the Mumbai Indians' (MI) Ryan Rickelton (273 runs at a strike rate of 152.51 in 10 innings) and Rohit Sharma (240 runs at a strike rate of 156.86 in nine innings) at the fifth position among his top five new opening pairs this season.

"At No. 5, I have kept Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma's pairing because they have rarely fired together. One is a left-hander and the other is a right-hander. Rohit is a superstar in his own right. Ryan Rickelton is a match-winner in his own right. Both have played good knocks, but haven't done so consistently," Chopra observed.

Despite Suryavanshi and Jaiswal's recent exploits, RR are placed eighth on the IPL 2025 points table. Although Rohit and Rickelton haven't been very successful as a pair, MI occupy the third spot in the standings.