
(Credit RCB)
Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has predicted India’s possible playing XI for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, selecting Virat Kohli to open alongside Rohit Sharma.
In just two days, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, will play their first Group A match against Ireland on June 5 at Nassau County Stadium in New York. The stadium will also host India’s subsequent matches against Pakistan and the USA on June 9 and 11.
The Men in Blue will wrap up their group stage with a match against Canada at Central Broward Regional Park in Florida. The most anticipated game is against Pakistan, reminiscent of the 2022 edition in Australia, where Dinesh Karthik was part of the squad and Virat Kohli delivered a memorable performance, hitting what many fans call the “shot of the century.”
Dinesh Karthik overlooks Yashasvi Jaiswal and supports Virat Kohli for the opening spot.
During his recent appearance on Cricbuzz’s T20 World Cup 2024 show, Dinesh Karthik was asked by Gaurav Kapur to name his preferred batting order for the event. Instead, Karthik listed his entire playing XI. Notably, he left out Yashasvi Jaiswal from the opening slot alongside captain Rohit Sharma.
Karthik chose to support his IPL 2024 RCB teammate, Virat Kohli, to open with Rohit. Kohli is well-known as an opening batter in the Indian Premier League, frequently setting a strong foundation for the Bengaluru team.
In IPL 2024, Kohli had his second-best run-scoring season, securing the Orange Cap by scoring 741 runs in 15 games. His performance was pivotal in RCB’s successful run to the play-offs, highlighted by a significant victory over CSK in Bengaluru. Consequently, Karthik believes that Kohli is the ideal partner for Rohit Sharma in the World Cup.
Sanju Samson misses out as Karthik slots Rishabh Pant in at number 3.
Dinesh Karthik handed Rishabh Pant the crucial number 3 spot in his likely playing XI. This decision capitalized on Pant’s successful return to the national team during the recent warm-up match against Bangladesh, where he thrived batting at the top of the order. To solidify the middle and lower-middle order, Karthik opted for a batting-heavy approach. Following the in-form Suryakumar Yadav at number 4, he slotted in the powerful hitters Hardik Pandya at 5 and Shivam Dube at 6.
The experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel rounded out the batting lineup at 7 and 8 respectively. With Kuldeep Yadav’s spin bowling completing the batting order, the pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah and the young talent Arshdeep Singh provided the finishing touches.
Dinesh Karthik’s predicted playing XI
Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (VC), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh