T20 World Cup 2024: What should be India's opening combination?

India will look to end their drought in ICC (International Cricket Council) events next month when they take on 19 other teams in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup. After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-member squad last month, fans and experts have long debated the different combinations the inaugural champions could field in the playing XI. One interesting point of discussion is the opening pair as there are three options to choose from.

Captain Rohit Sharma and the talented Yashasvi Jaiswal are the two specialist openers that India have picked in the side. There is no backup opener in the team and Shubman Gill has been named only among the reserve players. India can open with Virat Kohli, who has been the opening batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru for several years and has also played the role for the Indian team in the past.

Also Read: We knew before the IPL who we would take to T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma

Stick to Plan A and open with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal?

Rohit had a stop-start IPL 2024 campaign with the bat for the Mumbai Indians (MI). After being unceremoniously removed as the captain, the veteran had a strong start to the season but went through a dry patch in the middle. However, he finished with a fine half-century in MI's last league game against Lucknow Super Giants. In the end, Rohit finished with 417 runs from 14 matches at an average of 32.08 and a strike rate of 150. The 37-year-old is a certainty for the opening position.

Yashasvi took the cricketing world by storm with a breakthrough season in last year's IPL. He went on to make his debut for India in Tests and T20Is and produced some sensational performances. However, this season, in the IPL, he has flattered to deceive. In 15 matches in IPL 2024, the southpaw scored 435 runs at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 155.91

Yashasvi and Rohit opened a couple of times during the India versus Afghanistan series earlier this year. They could only muster 23 runs at a strike rate of 115.

Can Ro-Ko start for India at the top?

Kohli was in exemplary form in IPL 2024 and turned out to be the Orange Cap holder, having amassed 741 runs from 15 matches at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.70. The former India captain opened in all the games and registered five half-centuries and a solitary century.

Rohit and Kohli have opened only once in T20I cricket and it was in 2021 against England in Ahmedabad. They added 94 runs from just nine overs. Both of them got half-centuries. Unfortunately, both of them haven't opened together since then.

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Yashasvi didn't up to his potential in IPL 2024 but has done incredibly well for India in the past. Opening with him and Rohit will give India a left-right combination at the top. Meanwhile, if India want to cash in on Kolhi's staggering form as an opener in the IPL, he could be given a go alongside Rohit.