Kohli makes way for Jaiswal as opener; Kuldeep in for Axar, No Dube: Kaneria’s XI of India vs Afghanistan

Updated Jun 20, 2024 06:00 IST

The Indian team has experimented with the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the tournament. So far, the duo has failed to click in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The players of the Indian cricket team during a practice session.

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The former Pakistan wrist spinner also predicted that his top four teams had the potential to reach the semi-finals.
Kaneria also picked India’s 11th player for the Super Eight stage, where he backed Jaiswal to come in as an opener.
The Indian team has an opening option in the form of talented left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The second round of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup is all set to kick off this week, with the Super 8s starting on Wednesday, June 19, as co-hosts USA prepare to take on Group D- in Antigua toppers South Africa. The Indian team who topped Group A after three wins will start their Super 8s campaign against Afghanistan on Thursday. To discuss the exact combination of the Indian team, former Pakistani player Danish Kaneria spoke to SportsNow and shared his thinking.

The Indian team has experimented with the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the tournament. So far, the duo has failed to click T20 World Cup 2024. The Indian team has an opening option in the form of a talented left-handed batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“100%, India should try to go with Yashasvi Jaiswal, it is a combination of right and left. When Shivam Dube is not bowling, he is an all-rounder and has not been able to finish matches. So Jaiswal should open, and Kohli should come into bat one behind. Yashasvi has done very well, he is a gem and he plays fearless cricket. He is very consistent, Suryakumar Yadav has been struggling, which is putting pressure on Hardik Pandya, and if the top three don’t score runs, the middle order will be below cosh,” Kaneria said.

“Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, all these players can bat deep, but it is better to have Jaiswal open with Rohit Sharma, and India’s batting line-up will still have depth. The coaching staff should look into this, the conditions in the United States are very different, no matches have been played here on these fields,” he added.

Kaneria also picked India’s 11th player for the Super Eight stage, where he backed Jaiswal to come in as an opener. ‘Only one change: Yashasvi Jaiswal should come in, and Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav can be used to replace Axar. I think Kuldeep has to play, he is a Chinese and Jadeja is the finger spinner so you need variety in the playing XI. It is difficult to face a wrist spinner, if the management thinks about the batting depth, it will be difficult to pick the right combination. You need your bowlers to win your matches, there are already a lot of restrictions on the bowlers, the ongoing World Cup so far has seen bowlers dominate and that is the pitches,” he said.

“If I had been there, I would have played Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kuldeep Yadav in place of Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik are already bowling well,” he added.

The former Pakistan wrist spinner also predicted that his top four teams had the potential to reach the semi-finals. “I think West Indies will be there, India should also make cuts. You never know: on any given day, the smaller teams will play like they have nothing to lose. I think USA can do wonders, their players have played in Ranji Trophy and other tournaments. The backroom staff and coaches have worked very well, you never know, maybe the US will make it to the semi-finals,” said the former Pakistani cricketer.

Danish Kaneria’s India to play XI against Afghanistan: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.

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Kohli makes way for Jaiswal as opener; Kuldeep in for Axar, No Dube: Kaneria’s XI of India vs Afghanistan | Exclusive

The Indian team has experimented with the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the tournament. So far, the duo has failed to click in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

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