India Predicted Playing 11 vs Pakistan for Match 19 of 2024 T20 World Cup
Team India will face Pakistan in Match 19 of the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York on Sunday, June 9. The Men in Blue will take a significant step towards qualifying for the Super 8 stage if they come out on top against their arch-rivals.
India coasted past Ireland by eight wickets in their opening game. They made a surprise call for that game by excluding star spinner Kuldeep Yadav and will once again need to think about their ideal combination in challenging batting conditions in New York.
India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.
On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for Match 19 of the 2024 T20 World Cup against Pakistan.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to open the batting once again for India.
There might be a bit of merit behind playing an extra batter in Yashasvi Jaiswal. If Imad Wasim is fit, he could prove deadly in the powerplay against Kohli and Rohit. Moreover, with Pakistan likely to bowl 16 overs of pace, Kohli batting at No. 3 might not be a massive issue.
Nevertheless, the Men in Blue are unlikely to make such drastic changes to their combination even though playing an additional batter might not be the worst idea. Rohit is also reported to have recovered from a blow he sustained while batting in the nets.
Middle order: Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel
India's middle order is expected to wear a similar look. Rishabh Pant seems set to continue at No. 3, although Suryakumar Yadav's entry point cannot be consistently compromised in that process. Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel will make up the rest of the lineup.
Could India sacrifice Axar for either Kuldeep Yadav or an extra batter? It's within the realm of possibility, but India's insistence on having both batting depth and several bowling options means that it's unlikely.
Moreover, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan being suspects against left-arm spinners, Axar's bowling could prove valuable in the powerplay. However, it must be said that his batting isn't guaranteed to produce any results on pitches like the ones that have been on display in New York.
Lower order: Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
India went in with a three-pronged specialist pace attack against Ireland, a move that worked well for them. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the unit, with Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh likely to take the new ball once again.