Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has picked his current World Test XI. He selected players from different countries based mainly on their performances over the last two years.
His team includes players from India, Australia, England and the West Indies. However, some big names did not make the team.
Chopra revealed his XI on his AakashVani YouTube show. He also explained why he picked each player.
Interestingly, no player from Pakistan, South Africa or New Zealand made the team.
Aakash Chopra’s Current World Test XI
Here is Chopra’s Ultimate World Test XI. The stats are based on this ICC WTC cycle (2025-27) till now.
Travis Head
Chopra opened his team with Australia’s aggressive left-handed batter Travis Head.
Head has become a dangerous Test opener. He puts pressure on bowlers by scoring quickly.
Chopra said Head scored 914 runs in 10 matches. He also hit three centuries and two half-centuries at an average of around 48.10.
Chopra liked Head’s aggressive batting and left-handed style.
India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal was also in the race for this spot. However, Chopra felt Jaiswal’s recent form was not strong enough.
KL Rahul
Chopra picked India’s KL Rahul as Head’s opening partner.
Rahul has performed consistently in the current World Test Championship cycle.
According to Chopra, Rahul scored 931 runs in 11 matches. He hit three centuries and four half-centuries, averaging around 49.
Chopra also said opening in modern Test cricket has become difficult. Batters now try to score runs faster.
He felt Head and Rahul give the team a good mix of aggression and technique.
Joe Root
Aakash Chopra picked Joe Root at No. 3.
The former England captain remains one of the world’s best Test batters.
Root scored 1,202 runs in 15 matches during the period Chopra considered. He also scored five centuries and averaged around 46.23.
Root had a few quiet games, but Chopra still trusted him because of his consistency and recent record.
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Shubman Gill
India’s Test captain Shubman Gill takes the No. 4 spot.
Gill has been in excellent form.
Chopra said Gill scored 1,024 runs in 10 matches. He averaged an outstanding 68.26 and scored five centuries.
Chopra also considered Gill’s leadership when making his selection.
With Head and Rahul opening, Root at No. 3 and Gill at No. 4, Chopra had already created a strong top order.
Harry Brook
England’s Harry Brook comes in at No. 5.
Brook has also scored plenty of runs in Test cricket.
Chopra said Brook scored 1,196 runs in 15 matches. He made two centuries and eight half-centuries.
His strike rate of around 82.25 also impressed Chopra. His average is 44.29.
Brook’s attacking style makes him a good fit for the middle order. He can change the game quickly.
England now have two players in the XI through Root and Brook.
Rishabh Pant
India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant takes the No. 6 spot.
Pant can change a Test match with his attacking batting. Chopra valued that quality.
Pant scored 696 runs in eight matches. He made two centuries and five half-centuries at an average of 49.71.
He also gives the team a wicketkeeper.
Pant’s attacking style (77.50 strike rate) gives the middle order another match-changing player.
Steve Smith was one of the players who missed out. Chopra considered the Australian star but focused more on recent performances.
South Africa’s Temba Bavuma also did not make the team. Chopra felt South Africa had not played enough Test cricket after the WTC title win.
Ben Stokes
Aakash Chopra picked Ben Stokes as his first all-rounder.
Stokes scored 545 runs in 11 matches and took 39 wickets during the period.
He averaged around 25.95 with the bat.
His bowling gives the team another option.
However, Ben Stokes has since retired from Test cricket. Chopra’s selection mainly depends on the performances from his chosen period.
His ability to contribute with both bat and ball helped him get into the XI.
Ravindra Jadeja
India’s Ravindra Jadeja takes the No. 8 spot.
Jadeja gave Chopra strong numbers with both bat and ball.
He scored 790 runs and took 33 wickets during the period. He averaged around 60 with the bat.
He also scored two centuries and six half-centuries.
Jadeja gives the team batting depth, spin bowling and excellent fielding.
Chopra also looked at other spin options. He said Kuldeep Yadav has not played regularly, while Manav Suthar is still new to Test cricket.
Australia’s Nathan Lyon was another option, but Chopra felt Australia had not used him regularly enough during the period.
Mitchell Starc
Australia’s Mitchell Starc was an easy choice for Chopra.
Starc took 58 wickets in 10 matches during the period.
His Ashes performances played a big role in his selection. Chopra praised Starc for making a big difference for Australia during the series.
Starc also recently took a 10-wicket haul.
His pace, left-arm angle and ability to take wickets with both the new and old ball make him a strong choice.
Josh Tongue
England’s Josh Tongue joins Starc in the pace attack.
Tongue also took 58 wickets, but he played 11 matches.
He took three five-wicket hauls and had a bowling strike rate of around 36 and an average of 25.43.
These numbers helped him beat several bigger names for a place in the XI.
Australia captain Pat Cummins was one of those names. Chopra considered Cummins but left him out because he played fewer matches during the period and also faced injury problems.
Shamar Joseph
West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph gets the final spot.
Joseph took 35 wickets in seven matches, including one five-wicket haul.
Aakash Chopra also highlighted his bowling average of around 22 and strike rate of around 35.
Joseph gives the attack another fast bowler.
The final bowling attack has Starc, Tongue and Joseph, with Jadeja and Stokes also able to bowl.
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Who Did Aakash Chopra Leave Out?
Chopra’s team has already created plenty of discussion because several big names are missing.
Jasprit Bumrah is perhaps the biggest omission.
Chopra explained that Bumrah missed some matches because of workload management. His numbers therefore did not fit Chopra’s selection criteria.
Mohammed Siraj also missed out because his numbers were not strong enough compared with the selected fast bowlers.
Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out because of his recent drop in form.
Aiden Markram did not make the team because he had not played enough cricket during the period.
Steve Smith and Temba Bavuma also missed out despite their strong records.
Pakistan also has no player in the XI. Babar Azam is among the notable names who failed to make the team.
New Zealand and South Africa also have no players in Chopra’s XI. Sonal Dinusha has done well in the recently concluded India vs Sri Lanka 2-match test series. That’s because he has just started.
Final XI
Chopra’s team is:
Travis Head, KL Rahul, Joe Root, Shubman Gill, Harry Brook, Rishabh Pant, Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Starc, Josh Tongue and Shamar Joseph.
India has four players, England has three, Australia has two, and the West Indies has one. The 11th player is also from England, making it four England players in total.
Chopra did not select players only because of their reputation. He focused mainly on their recent Test performances.
That explains why big names such as Bumrah, Smith and Cummins missed out.
The XI is certainly open to debate, but that is what makes Chopra’s selection interesting.
What do you think? Which player would you add to Aakash Chopra’s current World Test XI, and which player would you remove? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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