File photos of Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli© X (Twitter)
If India’s warm-up game against Bangladesh was a hint, Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn’t seem to be the preferred option to partner Rohit Sharma as an opener in the T20 World Cup 2024. It was Sanju Samson who opened with the India skipper while Virat Kohli remained absent from the team, having reached the United States of America late. Though Rohit clarified that the team setup hasn’t been finalised yet, the warm-up game was enough to understand that Jaiswal isn’t the first choice for the team management.
India legend Sunil Gavaskar also feels that it should Kohli opening alongside Rohit for India as Jaiswal hasn’t been in the sort of form that brings a lot of promise. Virat, on the other hand, finished the IPL 2024 campaign as the top run-scorer with over 700 runs to his name.
“The kind of form Virat Kohli has been in, especially in the second half of the season, he should open with Rohit Sharma. Good players are good players, the kind of form kohli has shown in the IPL, he has to open the batting. It’s good to talk about the left-hand, right-hand combination on television, but good players are good players no matter where they bat,” Gavaskar said in a chat on Star Sports after the T20 World Cup opener between USA and Canada.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t been in the sort of form we saw him in during the Test series,” the India legend said of the left-hander who will compete with Virat for the second opener’s spot.
It would’ve been great had Virat played for India in the practice game against Bangladesh but his late arrival made that impossible. But, the top-order batter would hope to still be a part of the team’s playing XI as it opens the T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Ireland on June 05.
For Jaiswal, the chances might not come too early, as both Virat and Rohit are indispensable to the team. Another role in the batting unit, however, could be possible.
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