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ToggleFrom India’s opening combination and the rest of the batting order during the only warm-up game against Bangladesh, one thing was quite certain that they, for the moment, are not looking at Yashasvi Jaiswal as an opening option.
During the practice game against Bangladesh at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, India opened with captain Rohit Sharma and their back-up wicket-keeper Sanju Samson, who failed for his one-run knock. Virat Kohli wasn’t available for the game on June 01, after reaching New York late on May 31.
Even Rishabh Pant comes at number three, when the champions of the 2007-season of the tournament lost an early wicket, which was a huge indication at how India are preparing their batting order, especially with players being in such a good touch.
‘All of them will be playing for Team India’ – Aakash Chopra
The main focus, like all the previous ICC tournaments is on India, and how they would go to their business, having not won any ICC trophy in more than a decade, since winning it in 2013 during the champions trophy against England.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Rishabh Pant To Bat At No.3? – Rohit Sharma Clarifies
The hosts of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup came so close in that tournament but couldn’t cross the fine line, losing to Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad.
The former India opener Aakash Chopra, speaking to AB De Villiers on his YouTube channel, spoke about India’s chance going into this edition of the T20 tournament.
“Well, it is not going to be easy for sure because we haven’t played T20 cricket the way it is supposed to be played for the last few editions. Whether it was the one in Dubai, the one in Australia. We haven’t been up to the mark but somehow we’ve found the same assembly of stars. So, the batting order still looks the same, the bowling almost looks the same,” former India batter Aakash Chopra observed on his YouTube video.
The India batter also feels that going into the second leg of the competition, in the Caribbean, the spinners would be so handy for India and they are expected to get an advantage.
“So, it is going to be tough but then I’m expecting the pitches in the West Indies, second part of the tournament at least, where the pitches may start holding up a little bit. Big ground, spinners may come into the picture and that is where India might have a slight advantage to actually do well,” Chopra predicted.
‘This is very hypothetical…’ – Aakash Chopra
The renowned commentator also spoke about how India would be tempting to open with Rohit and Virat, while leaving out Jaiswal from the playing XI.
“I feel your friend biscuit (Virat Kohli) is going to open. He will be opening (for India) with Rohit and there will be no place for Yashasvi in the playing XI is what I understand. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube both will be playing and Dube is almost un-droppable in my opinion.
“He is the only guy who has been hitting sixes well. Otherwise, Hardik or Jadeja or Axar Patel. You need some muscle towards the latter half of a T20 innings, especially in the West Indies, when you are playing the day games,” Delhi-born discussed during the same video.
There were issues between Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma, as many reports claim, when they were playing for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. But Aakash Chopra told that these things won’t matter when both of them will be playing for the national team.
‘I don’t think there will be any issues because we are dealing with professionals. Even if there is something and this is very hypothetical that there is something.
“Even if there’s something, they will put it aside and all of them will be playing for Team India. I don’t know of a cricket team where everybody got along well with each other. So, there is some lack of chemistry everywhere, I don’t really actually think it is going to make a difference,” Veteran concluded.
India will begin their campaign on June 05, against Ireland, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.