NEW DELHI: India head coach
Rahul Dravid
on Wednesday confirmed the team's commitment to having
Rohit Sharma
and
Yashasvi Jaiswal
as openers leading up to the
T20 World Cup
, emphasising the significance of a left-right pairing at the top.
Rohit, returning to India's T20 squad after a 14-month hiatus, is set to feature in the series against Afghanistan starting in Mohali on Thursday.
Rohit's last appearance was in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal against England at Adelaide.
Jaiswal has been holding the opening position in the shortest format since the away series against the West Indies in August last year.
"As of now, we will be opening with Rohit and Jaiswal. When you have a squad that offers flexibility, we can take a call that is in the best interest of the team," Dravid said on the eve of the match.
"We are certainly happy with what Jaiswal has done for us as an opener. It also gives us the left-right combination at the top," added Dravid.
Yet, this raises the question of how to accommodate Shubman Gill, who typically opens or bats at No. 3 in T20Is. This becomes significant as Virat Kohli, alongside Rohit, has also returned to T20Is.
Star batsman Kohli has been named in the squad for the series against Afghanistan, though he will be available only from the second T20I.
So, how is the think-tank going to accommodate Kohli in the eleven?
Is pairing Kohli with Rohit at the top a rational move to make?
Dravid did not entirely rule out that possibility.
"Nothing is closed (Kohli opening with Rohit). We have no doubt that the kind of ability and skill sets players like Rohit and Kohli possess, they will be able to find answers against different kind of bowling," said Dravid.
The former Indian captain said the selection process will be dominated by the capability of a player to negate all circumstances, and will not merely rely on the desire to field a left-right combination.
"We still have left-handers in the line-up. But it is not only about left-handers but it is their ability to play through a period and to be able to tackle different kinds of spin that there is.
"Players like Rinku, Jaiswal and Tilak have come in as well, which adds a nice string to the bow. But in the end, we make selection on the basis of performance, not just on the left-hand or right-hand batsman," he insisted.
The Bengaluru man was wholesome in his praise for
Rinku Singh
, and lauded the Uttar Pradesh batter for performing the high-pressure job of finisher with aplomb.
"He has been performing well in the role of a finisher. This series (against Afghanistan) is another opportunity for him to develop himself as a cricketer further.
"Whatever opportunity he gets here or in the IPL, it will be good for his development. Whenever a player does well, he always remains in the thoughts of the selector," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
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