‘Would've played Yashasvi if he was in plans' - Sanjay Bangar feels Rohit-Kohli will open for India at T20 World Cup

Kohli reached New York on May 31 and missed the warm-up game against Bangladesh.

Published - 02 Jun 2024, 14:24 IST | Updated - 02 Jun 2024, 14:29 IST

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In the warm-up game against Bangladesh at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was rested as skipper Rohit Sharma opened alongside Sanju Samson. With Virat Kohli missing out, it was expected for Jaiswal to get some game time but the team management decided against it as the youngster missed out on the opportunity.

Former cricketer Sanjay Bangar noted that Jaiswal may not feature in the playing XI during the T20 World Cup and that’s the reason the team management didn’t back him in the warm-up game. He mentioned that star batter Virat Kohli is likely to pair with Rohit at the top of the order, which leaves no room for Jaiswal.

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“I feel the team has decided to go in the direction that Yashasvi Jaiswal will probably not play the first match. If Yashasvi Jaiswal was in their plans, they would have played him in this match. Since they have not played him, it's obvious Virat Kohli will open,” Bangar said on Star Sports.

Bangar also explained that both Rohit and Kohli are experienced cricketers and are match-winners and believes that the left-arm spinners will not trouble them early on. The 51-year-old also expects Kohli to have a splendid season no matter where he bats.

“They are quality players. So it's not necessary that they can't score runs against left-arm spinners. They have scored a lot of runs. The way the surface has played also tells you how the team would think. There is no doubt that Virat's numbers will be good at whichever position you play him,” he said.

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Kohli missed the warm-up game against Bangladesh as he reached New York on May 31. To give him some rest, the team management didn’t play him but the cricketer was present at the stadium. He received a lot of love from the fans in attendance and in return, Kohli waved at him after the end of the match.