You can break down the Indian team’s door

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked Mohammad Shami among the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) players with great opportunities in IPL 2026. He noted that the veteran seamer can barge into the Indian team if he performs well in the upcoming edition of the prestigious league.

Shami hasn’t played for India since the Champions Trophy 2025. LSG traded in the Bengal seamer from the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for ₹10 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that IPL 2026 presents Shami with a great opportunity to force a return to the Indian team.

“What about Mohammad Shami? There have been so many discussions about him not getting a chance to play. He has played everything, and he has done well for Bengal. If you do well on this stage, then no one will question what the selectors feel. As of now, the selectors go and watch, and what they feel is a hypothetical scenario,” Chopra said.

“All of us are wondering what they might be thinking. However, if you do well in the IPL, don’t worry at all. The entire world watches. It’s a great battle in the center of the colosseum, and if you do well here, you can break down the Indian team’s door and enter. I think it’s such a beautiful opportunity for Mohammad Shami,” he added.

Chopra added that Mayank Yadav could also earn a spot in the Indian team if the speedster proves his fitness in IPL 2026.

“I am thinking about the opportunity for Mayank Yadav. He has played very little, but when he played, he was the Player of the Match in the first two matches. He bowls fast, there are not a lot of people like him, but he is struggling a lot with injuries. If you can bowl close to 150 kph, there will always be a place in the Indian team. You can be picked anytime, provided you remain fit and bowl an entire season,” he observed.

The Lucknow Super Giants had retained Mayank Yadav for ₹11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. However, the express pacer played only two games for the franchise last season, picking up two wickets at an economy rate of 12.50.

“This franchise has played a huge punt on you” – Aakash Chopra on the opportunity for Rishabh Pant in IPL 2026

In the same video, Aakash Chopra picked Rishabh Pant as the Lucknow Super Giants player with the greatest opportunity in IPL 2026.

“The biggest opportunity is for Rishabh Pant because this franchise has played a huge punt on you. He is the most expensive player in IPL history. He scored a hundred last time. A little more clarity, form, and rhythm this time, a very big responsibility for the destructive Rishabh Pant,” he said.

The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player highlighted that the LSG skipper was part of India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning side, but wasn’t even considered when the squad was picked for the recently concluded edition of the global T20 tournament.

“He was a part of the winning team of the T20 World Cup 2024, but he wasn’t in this T20 World Cup, and he wasn’t even part of the conversation. This is the opportunity. You make the most of it,” Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra named Ayush Badoni as another Lucknow Super Giants player with a massive opportunity in IPL 2026. The analyst pointed out that the spin-bowling all-rounder, who was picked in the Indian squad for the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year, could strengthen his case with impressive performances in the lower-middle order for LSG.