NEW DELHI: Former all-rounder
Yuvraj Singh
suggested that India play
Rishabh Pant
as the preferred wicketkeeper and utilize
Yashasvi Jaiswal
as skipper
Rohit Sharma
's opening partner in the
T20 World Cup
next month to guarantee left-handed variation in their batting line-up.
With 708 runs from 14 matches this season,
Virat Kohli
leads all scorers in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He has been in scorching form as the opener for
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
.
Rohit, a right-hander, and Jaiswal, a left-hander, should be paired at the top of the batting order by Yuvraj, with Kohli following.
As of now,
Suryakumar Yadav
is the best T20 batter and is almost guaranteed to stay at number four.
"I think Rohit and Jaiswal should definitely open," Yuvraj, who was part of India's victorious T20 World Cup team in 2007, told the International Cricket Council.
"Virat has been batting at number three (in T20 internationals) and that's his position. You get Surya at four and then you got a couple of big options.
"I'd like to see a couple of left-hand, right-hand combinations because it is harder to bowl at two combinations all the time."
For the same reason, even though both wicketkeepers have been outstanding in the IPL, Yuvraj-a left-handed batter himself who famously hammered England's Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over during the 2007 World Cup-would choose Pant over
Sanju Samson
.
"I'd probably go for Rishabh," said Yuvraj, who is an ambassador of the June 1-29 showpiece in West Indies and the United States.
"Obviously Sanju is also in great form, but Rishabh (is a) left-hander, and I believe that Rishabh has massive potential to win games for India, which he has done in the past."
On June 9 in New York, India kick off their Group A campaign against Ireland. Four days later, India square off against bitter rivals Pakistan.
(With Reuters inputs)
English (US) ·