Sunil Gavaskar’s recent comments suggested Virat Kohli is the favourite to open alongside Rohit Sharma, leaving Yashasvi Jaiswal with a possible role lower in the batting order.
India’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh offered clues about the team’s opening partnership, with Sanju Samson partnering Rohit Sharma instead of young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal. While the lineup remains unconfirmed, this suggested that Jaiswal might not be the preferred choice.
Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also believes Virat Kohli, the IPL 2024 top scorer with over 700 runs, should open alongside the skipper. “With the kind of form Virat Kohli has been in, especially in the second half of the season, he should open with Rohit. Good players are good players. With 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.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t been in the sort of form we saw him in during the Test series,” Gavaskar added, highlighting Kohli’s recent success and Jaiswal’s lack of form in recent IPL matches.
Kohli’s absence from the warm-up match due to a late arrival in the USA seemed to complicate matters. However, he is expected to be part of the playing XI when India begins their campaign against Ireland on June 5th.
Jaiswal’s chances of opening might be slim, with both Rohit and Kohli likely taking those spots. However, he could potentially find a role elsewhere in the batting lineup.
Last Updated on June 2, 2024