Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Virat Kohli - Who should open for India at the T20 World Cup 2024?
Team India commence their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 5. With only a few days left for their first game, the management is still pondering who should open the batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma - Virat Kohli or Yashasvi Jaiswal/
Following India's semifinal exit in the 2022 T20 World Cup, they tried several opening combinations for the next edition of the T20 World Cup. Among them, Jaiswal emerged as the best option. After a stellar IPL 2023 campaign, the Rajasthan Royals opener impressed with an attacking brand of cricket.
Since his T20I debut in August 2003 against the West Indies, Jaiswal was a regular presence in Men in Blue's playing XI. The left-hander was a force to be reckoned with, aggregating 502 runs in 16 innings at an average of 33.46 and a strike rate of 161.93, including one hundred and four half-centuries.
There was no doubt about the opening combination with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opting out of the shortest format until January 2024. Both made their intentions clear of featuring in the 2024 T20 World Cup and were drafted into the squad for the Afghanistan series in January.
India chose to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit for the Afghanistan series. But with Kohli excelling in IPL 2024 at the top order, questions loom large whether the inaugural champions will open with the former alongside the skipper.
On that note, let's see who's the best-suited to open the innings among Jaiswal and Kohli alongside Rohit for the T20 World Cup.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's record as a T20 opener
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been a standout performer as an opener for the Rajasthan Royals and Team India. He smacked 625 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of almost 165 in IPL 2023. Although Jaiswal had an on-and-off season this year in the IPL, he struck at a rate of over 155.
The left-hander carried a similar form to international cricket for the Men in Blue in the last 12 months or so, aggregating 502 runs at a strike rate of over 160.
What's striking in all of these numbers is his strike rate, which is over 155 overall in the shortest format of the game. His attacking brand of cricket while opening the batting has been endorsed by several experts.
“Kohli & Jaiswal should open in the World Cup IMO(In My Opinion). Rohit & SKY should bat 3&4 depending on the start we get. Rohit plays spin well so batting at 4 shouldn’t be a concern,” Jaffer wrote on X.
Virat Kohli's record as a T20 opener
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli is a modern-day great, and his records speak for himself. He has aggregated over 4000 runs in T20I cricket at a strike rate of 138.05.
In 117 T20I matches for India, Kohli has batted 83 times at No. 3, while he has opened only nine times. Quite interestingly, his only century in T20I cricket has come while opening the batting against Afghanistan in 2022.
Although he has only nine appearances as an opener for the Men in Blue, Kohli has mostly batted as an opener for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. In fact, he won the Orange Cap in IPL 2024, the right-hander amassed 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.70.
However, his strike rate falls to almost 130 in 252 games considering his overall IPL record, which is sadly not quite up to the standards of modern-day T20 cricket.
Despite being critical of his T20 performances of late, former skipper Sunil Gavaskar backed Kohli to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma. On Star Sports, Gavaskar said:
"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as openers. The way Kohli has batted, particularly the second half of the IPL, he deserves to open the batting with Rohit Sharma, the captain. Seriously, good players are good players. They can bat anywhere, you know whether they're right and left hand."
Who should open the innings for India - Kohli or Jaiswal?
While there's no doubt in Virat Kohli's abilities as an opener across all formats, India should open with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal in their T20 World Cup opener against Ireland in New York on June 5.
The management has persisted with Jaiswal as an opener for the last year, preparing him for big events. Thus, it's only apt that they go forward with the combination that has yielded results in the past 12 months.
Jaiswal is a high-risk high-reward batter, who will give the team aggressive starts. Although he could have some failures the left-hander can kill opposition bowling units single-handedly if he gets going. He has a tinge of Virender Sehwag in his batting and doesn't shy away from playing his shots.
Kohli, meanwhile, goes aggressive in the powerplay but tends to slow down in the middle overs. It's evident in his 134.50 strike rate in T20 cricket. With T20 cricket tilting more towards batters and scores over 200 more achievable now than ever, India will need more aggressive batters to win the World Cup.
Moreover, opening the innings with Jaiswal will give the management the luxury of a right-hand-left-hand combination. Meanwhile, if India open with Rohit and Kohli, the opponents will introduce left-arm spinners in the powerplay, which might haunt the team in knockout games.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan recently highlighted the same during a discussion at Star Sports Press Room - T20 World Cup Edition:
"I would like to have a left-hander for sure, opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli open the innings, a left-arm spinner will come in straight away, and you need to counter that. Without a left-hand batter, you will struggle, especially in a big game."
"But if Virat bats at number 3, it opens the slot for Jaiswal. A right-hand, left-hand combination is crucial, especially when the ball is moving or spinning. Most teams have left-arm spinners who can take the ball away from right-handers. This is why you need a left-hander at the top of the order," Pathan added.
Thus, Team India should persist with Yashasvi Jaiswal as their opener for the T20 World Cup alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.