IND vs IRE: "Rishabh Pant will be sent in at number 3"- Aakash Chopra reveals India's batting order for T20 World Cup 2024

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra expressed doubts about the Men in Blue's readiness for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). Aakash Chopra stated that the Indian team management didn't provide clarity about the batting lineup for the ICC tournament.

The Indian team tried a different opening combination during the warm-up match against Bangladesh. Skipper Rohit Sharma opened the batting alongside Sanju Samson. Young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was dropped from the batting lineup, while Virat Kohli was rested as he had joined the Indian team a day earlier.

Cricket experts and analysts believe that Virat Kohli will open the batting with Rohit Sharma in Team India's T20 World Cup 2024 opener. The Men in Blue will take on the Ireland national cricket team in their first match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 5.

Rishabh Pant Will Be Sent At No. 3 - Aakash Chopra

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra suggested that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are likely to open the innings, with Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav to follow. Chopra said that Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube will play as finishers in the ICC tournament.

"There are chances of both openers being right-handed. They are your two most experienced players - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It seems like Rishabh Pant will be sent at No. 3, Suryakumar Yadav will be at No. 4, and then if Surya gets out, Hardik Pandya will come, and if Pant gets out, Shivam Dube will come," Chopra said.

The former India opener questioned why the team's batting order was finalized so late. Chopra said that it would have been better to have clarity earlier regarding Virat and Rohit's opening partnership.

"It seems like the team composition will be like this. But I ask a different question. My question is - why are we coming to know about this now? Would it not have been ideal to know earlier that Virat and Rohit are going to open?" Chopra added.

Rohit and Jaiswal were considered India's opening pair for the T20 World Cup before the IPL 2024. However, Jaiswal delivered inconsistent performances with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2024. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli showcased impressive batting form with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

We Are Playing Almost With The Same XI - Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-commentator said that India's likely batting lineup resembles that of the previous tournament. Chopra highlighted that the core remains largely unchanged with the inclusion of Shivam Dube instead of KL Rahul.

"When the last World Cup ended, from then till now, to be honest, we are playing almost with the same XI or the batting personnel. Move them a little up and down, leave out KL Rahul and bring Shivam Dube in his place, it's exactly the same. So we haven't changed much," Chopra further added.

Aakash Chopra highlighted the absence of clearly defined roles in the Indian team due to senior players' limited participation in T20Is after the last edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022. Chopra stated that they primarily focus on ODI cricket and play for their franchises in the IPL.

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