T20 World Cup 2024: Virat Kohli will eat both Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh claims former Indian legend

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan stated that Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal should open for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Irfan Pathan stated that Rinku Singh will not make it into India's playing XI if Virat Kohli doesn't open the innings along with Rohit Sharma.

As the 2024 T20 World Cup approaches, the BCCI is expected to announce the squad by May 1. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is unlikely to make significant changes, with players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rinku Singh, and Jasprit Bumrah expected to retain their positions.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were absent from T20I cricket throughout 2023. The veteran batting duo returned for a series against Afghanistan earlier this year. Rohit scored a brilliant century after two successive ducks in the series. Virat managed to score 29 runs in the two matches.

Kohli is the highest run scorer in T20Is, scoring 4,037 runs at an average of 51.76. He also holds the record for the most runs in the T20 World Cup with 1,141 runs. Rohit is second in most T20I runs with 3,974 runs. Rohit is the fourth-highest run scorer in the T20 World Cup, with 963 runs.

Indian Openers Should Be Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma - Irfan Pathan

Speaking on the Star Sports Press Room Show, Irfan Pathan stated that Rinku Singh's chances in the playing XI hinge on Virat Kohli's batting position. Pathan stated that if Kohli opens the innings, players like Shivam Dube or Rinku Singh might make it into the playing XI.

"See, as far as I'm concerned, Indian openers should be Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, purely because of the right-hand and left-hand combination. Don't forget Yashasvi Jaiswal's international strike rate is 160 and you need that, you need that firepower. If Virat opens up the batting, what happens is that it will allow the combination of 11 to be in a certain way, which you want," Pathan said.

"If that happens, you might see Shivam Dube playing, if he's there in the squad. You might see guys like Rinku Singh in the playing 11 as well. But if Virat bats at number three, that might not happen. So that's a big challenge," he added.

Virat Kohli has opened in T20Is only nine times, scoring 400 runs at a strike rate of 161.29. Kohli opened the innings with Rohit in a T20I against England in 2021. Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open the innings in the World Cup. However, Jaiswal might be sidelined if Kohli takes on the opening role.

Rinku Singh's breakthrough performance came in the IPL 2023, where he amassed 474 runs in 14 matches with an average of 59.25. He has scored 356 runs in 15 T20Is at an average of 89.00 and a strike rate of 176.24. Rinku is considered one of the top contenders for selection in the Indian squad.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Yuvraj Singh wants the end of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in T20Is