India will open their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5.
Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson are the two designated wicketkeeper-batters named in India’s 15-member squad for the marquee event.
Yuvraj has called for Pant’s inclusion in the playing XI, citing that the latter being a left-hander would bring variety to India's middle-order composition. He also suggested India to utilize young southpaw Yashasvi Jaiswal as skipper Rohit Sharma's opening partner.
"I think Rohit and Jaiswal should definitely open," Yuvraj, who was part of India's T20 World Cup triumph in 2007, told the ICC.
"Virat has been batting at number three (in T20 internationals) and that's his position. You get Surya at four and then you got a couple of big options. I'd like to see a couple of left-hand, right-hand combinations because it is harder to bowl at two combinations all the time," he added.
For the same reason, Yuvraj preferred Rishabh Pant over Sanju Samson even though both of them have been outstanding in the ongoing IPL.
"I'd probably go for Rishabh. Obviously Sanju is also in great form, but Rishabh (is a) left-hander, and I believe that Rishabh has massive potential to win games for India, which he has done in the past," he remarked.
India will open their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5.
India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh
Travelling Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan