Ranking India's 3 best opening combinations for the 2024 T20 World Cup ft. Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member Indian squad for the much-awaited T20 World Cup 2024, slated to be played in June. The USA and West Indies will host the biennial event.
The notable inclusions to the side were Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Yuzvendra Chahal. Samson and Dube warranted a place in the side after scoring over 350 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, while Chahal recently became the first bowler to claim 200 wickets in the cash-rich league.
On the batting front, the Indian team will rely on the talents of skipper Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and Hardik Pandya.
On that note, let's take a look at the three best opening combinations for the Indian team in T20 World Cup 2024.
#3 Virat Kohli & Yashasvi Jaiswal
This combination ranks third on this list due to the pair's unfamiliarity of batting alongside each other. There has been only one occasion, when Jaiswal and Kohli batted together in a T20I - January 14, 2024 against Afghanistan. Jaiswal (68) and Kohli (29) put together a 57-run stand for the second wicket in less than five overs, after Rohit Sharma (0) was dismissed.
However, Kohli has been imperious with his performances at the opening role in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He has slammed over 4,000 runs in 108 innings as an opener at an average of 45.68, recording eight centuries.
In this situation, Sharma can bat in the middle-order for the Men in Blue. But, the 'Hitman' has over 110 appearances as an opener for India in the shortest format, and hasn't batted enough in the middle-order. Although he can fit well in Mumbai Indians line-up in the middle, things will be different for the national team.
#2 Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli
Since the past few weeks, there were speculations that Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli were set to open for India in T20 World Cup 2024. The rumors arose as Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh were touted as the finishers for India, and the selectors needing a space in the middle-order to fulfil the purpose.
However, as per the 15-member roster, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named in the squad, and Rinku is among the reserves. Nevertheless, the team management might opt to play with Sharma & Kohli as openers, and fit in both keepers, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson or could play with Dube, Pandya and Axar as the all-rounders in the XI.
#1 Rohit Sharma & Yashasvi Jaiswal
This is by far the most astute opening pair for the Indian team in the much-anticipated event. The left-right combination has generally proved to be helpful for the batting team in their bid to disturb the flow of bowlers and increase the tempo of their innings.
Although Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal could stitch together partnerships of 5 & 18 together against Afghanistan in T20Is earlier this year, the pair has been prolific in Test matches. In 16 Test innings, they have added 980 runs at an average of 61.25, with the highest being 229.
Further, their different approaches in the shortest format might help the team get off to a strong start.
When talking about Jaiswal's approach in the IPL, the southpaw scores runs with his natural strokeplay and well-timed cricketing shots. Meanwhile, Sharma has an instinct to be aggressive and make full use of the fielding restrictions.
Moreover, Kohli coming at No. 3 will help the team's cause, as it will be crucial for an experienced batter to hold the middle-order well. Interestingly, Kohli holds an exceptional average of over 50 at this position in 80 innings.