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'He Will Miss Out If Virat...': Irfan Pathan Predicts Rinku Singh's T20 World Cup Fate

Virat Kohli is expected to open the innings vs Rohit Sharma in the T20 World Cup (X)Virat Kohli is expected to open the innings vs Rohit Sharma in the T20 World Cup (X)

Rumors suggest Virat Kohli will open alongside Rohit Sharma in the upcoming World Cup, though in the previous tournament, Kohli batted at No. 3 with Rahul and Rohit opening. 

Former Indian left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan advocates for Kohli at No. 3, preferring the Rohit-Jaiswal opening duo. However, this choice could sideline Rinku Singh.

The Indian team has undergone significant changes since the 2022 T20 World Cup, with several new batters emerging. Rinku Singh has become India's reliable finisher, filling the void left by the out-of-form Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal has established himself as an all-format player for India in recent years, alongside Shubman Gill. Gill has previously opened for India in the ODI World Cup.

Will Rinku miss out the starting position? 

"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. 

If that happens, you might see Shivam Dubey 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," Pathan stated.

However Irfan Pathan advocates for Yashasvi Jaiswal to open alongside Rohit Sharma over Kohli , aiming for a left-right combination at the top.

Jaiswal to be India's Yuvraj Singh for the WC?

Pathan advocates for utilizing Jaiswal as India's trump card, suggesting that his all-round abilities could be maximized. He believes Jaiswal could contribute with a few overs of bowling and should be given opportunities in nets to enhance his bowling skills. 

Pathan emphasizes that the lack of bowling options among India's top six players is impacting the team's balance and combination. 

Indian selectors will soon pick the 15 man squad for the T20 World Cup in June that happens in USA and West Indies.