"It is his ground" - Aakash Chopra picks his ideal KKR XI for IPL 2022 opener vs CSK

Aakash Chopra has picked his ideal Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) XI for their IPL 2022 opener against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

The IPL 2021 finalists acquired Shreyas Iyer at the mega auction and appointed him as their new skipper. They have also assembled a well-rounded unit but will miss the services of Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch at the start of the tournament.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra picked his preferred top order for KKR. He observed:

"I am seeing Ajinkya Rahane opening alongside Venkatesh Iyer because Finch is not there. So make Rahane open, it is his ground, he knows this ground. Keep Shreyas Iyer at No. 3 and Nitish Rana should play at No. 4."

The former KKR player also named his four overseas picks and ideal bowling lineup. Chopra said:

"After that, all your four overseas players one after the other - Sam Billings, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Chamika Karunaratne. Then Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Shivam Mavi."

The Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that Ajinkya Rahane fires for them at the top of the order. The franchise acquired Finch as a replacement for Alex Hales, who opted out of IPL 2022, but the Australian limited-overs skipper has not been in great form of late.

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"The team looks alright to me" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's depth in both the batting and bowling departments

Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy lend potency to the Kolkata Knight Riders attack [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra reckons the two-time champions have a well-balanced unit. He explained:

"The team looks alright to me, the depth is seen in the batting and if they play freely. They have variety in the bowling, two mystery spinners in the form of Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, Chamika Karunaratne is a medium pacer, so you have Andre Russell. Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer can also bowl a little."

The renowned commentator feels Umesh Yadav's performances with the ball could define the Shreyas Iyer-led side's fortunes in IPL 2022. Chopra stated:

"So a lot of depth in batting and plenty of variations in the bowling. If Umesh Yadav has a good year, then this year is going to be extremely good for this team, that's what I feel."

Aakash Chopra's KKR XI: Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Chamika Karunaratne, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi