India and Ireland to clash on June 5 at Nassau Cricket Ground, New York.
Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu has predicted that the Men in Blue will employ captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as openers in their T20 World Cup 2024 opening match against Ireland on June 5 in New York.
India's only practice match against Bangladesh prior to their T20 World Cup debut against Ireland provided some insight into the composition of India's likely playing eleven in their opening Group A match.
India defeated Bangladesh by 60 runs in New York on Saturday in a warm-up match in which 12 of the 15-member squad played. Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal, India's two options for opening batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, did not play in the warm-up game.
"The practice game has made it clear that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will open. There are more chances of Shivam Dube playing because he featured (in the warm-up game),” Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Star Sports.
Sidhu said so as opening with Rohit and Kohli gives India option to play Shivam Dube or Akshar Patel as all-rounders. Dube scored 14 off 16 balls and bowled an impressive three-over spell of 2 for 13. Akshar delivered two overs and took 1 for 10.
"One thing is sure: five (specialist) bowlers will play. If you want to play an extra spinner against Ireland, which should be the case, then it's very clear that in place of Mohammed Siraj, you will play Yuzvendra Chahal. If Kuldeep and Yuzi Chahal bowl in tandem against Ireland, the weakness of the opposition makes your strength," he concluded.
Navjot Singh Sidhu's India playing XI:
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj/Yuzvendra Chahal