IPL 2020: Aakash Chopra picks the 6 players who have been the biggest gains for Team India

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has picked six players who have been the biggest gains for the Indian team through their impactful performances in IPL 2020.

He made these picks in a video shared on his YouTube channel, highlighting that they were not in any particular order.

Aakash Chopra's first pick of an Indian player who has stood out in the current edition of the IPL was KL Rahul.

"Let me start with KL Rahul. It has been three consecutive seasons that he has scored more than 500 runs. And he is doing better and better every year. And this year as well, he captained for the first time and the team won only one out of their first seven matches."

The reputed commentator reasoned that the Kings XI Punjab captain coped very well under pressure. He added that Rahul performed consistently and altered his game as per the demands of the situation.

"There was a lot of pressure, he changed his game as well although there were few discussions about his strike rate at the end but we have got to admit and admire that a batsman cannot bat the same way every day. He has been my standout performer the way he has batted."

Aakash Chopra picked Shikhar Dhawan as the second gain for the Indian team from IPL 2020.

"I am going with Shikhar Dhawan. It was a very important tournament for him because there was a lot of talk about his strike rate in T20 cricket, that he is there and thereabouts but does not win matches."

The former KKR player pointed out that the Delhi Capitals opener demonstrated his destructive side in this edition of the IPL apart from coming up with some huge scores, including the back-to-back centuries.

"He had been scoring runs but we had not seen the dominating Dhawan. But this year all that changed. The two centuries he struck and the manner in which he struck them was actually phenomenal."

Mayank Agarwal was Aakash Chopra's third pick of an Indian batsman to have excelled in IPL 2020.

Who is the orange cap holder in ipl 2020? Click here to see.

"At No.3, I have got Mayank Agarwal. His attitude was the best thing I found about him. He played with the same attitude even after coming back from injury or when the team was losing or his partner was playing slow. He was a selfless player and if you are the captain, you want him in your team."

The former Test opener highlighted the Karnataka batsman's ability to take the attack to the opposition without being careless, apart from his willingness to go the extra mile for the team's cause.

"There are very few players who can be consistent despite playing like that. It is easy to be aggressive but players become reckless when they get more aggressive but not with Mayank Agarwal. I think he is a huge huge positive in terms of limited-overs cricket, that is why his name has come in T20s as well."

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Aakash Chopra on the three bowling gains for Team India from IPL 2020

Jasprit Bumrah is the highest wicket-taker amongst Indian bowlers in IPL 2020 [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra picked Jasprit Bumrah as the first bowling gain for the Indian team from IPL 2020. He reasoned that the Mumbai Indians pacer cleared all doubts surrounding his fitness with his incisive spells after the initial stages of the IPL.

"At No.4, I have got Jasprit Bumrah. The start of 2020 was not good for him as he was coming back from injury. He did not have a good start to the tournament but then he bounced back strongly and he showed that he is the boss. He did whatever was asked of him. His form and injury concerns have been put to bed."

Mohammed Shami was the second seamer picked by Aakash Chopra among the three bowling gains for the Indian team from IPL 2020.

"Then I will go with sensational Shami. He changed the perception about him that he does not bowl well in the four-over game. He showed that he could do what others felt he was not capable of."

The 43-year-old pointed out that the Kings XI Punjab speedster proved his detractors wrong by delivering at the death and even in the Super Over against the Mumbai Indians.

"The Super Over he bowled, with yorker after yorker and defended 5 runs. And then the death overs against Delhi. So he has shown that he will do a good job if given the ball in T20 cricket."

Good bowling on any surface or any ground is effective. The line & length that Shami was bowling was spot on.Great bowling by @MdShami11.#KKRvKXIP #IPL2020

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 26, 2020

Aakash Chopra signed off by naming Varun Chakravarthy as the biggest gain for the Indian team from IPL 2020.

"But the best gain for Team India I will say is Varun Chakravarthy. Mystery spinners are not available easily and most of them have problems with their actions. If not the action, they get problems of consistency. But this player bowled the entire season and no one deciphered him."

He reasoned that the Kolkata Knight Riders mystery spinner handled pressure very well, with none of the batsmen able to get the better of him in the entire IPL.

"He dismissed Dhoni twice. He is fast in the air and bowls at the right spot and even bowled with the wet ball. He turns the ball a little and is not scared of any pressure situation. He is the only bowler to take a 5-wicket haul in the whole league phase."

With his exploits for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2020, Varun Chakravarthy has earned a call up in the Indian T20 squad for the tour to Australia. The Tamil Nadu spinner showed his wares by scalping 17 wickets in the tournament, at an excellent average of 20.94 along with an exceptional economy rate of 6.84.

Good to see Varun Chakravarthy getting picked for team india https://t.co/GqlP53fROB

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 26, 2020