Former cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra feels that Rinku Singh could potentially be the sole left-hander in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad, especially with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s return to the T20I fold.
The ongoing three-match series against Afghanistan at home is India’s last T20I assignment before the T20 World Cup 2024, slated to be held in the USA and West Indies from June 1 to June 29.
Rohit and Kohli have been picked in the T20I squad for Afghanistan series for the first time since November 2022. Last year, the two batting stalwarts focused on the 50-over format with the Cricket World Cup taking precedence.
"I feel left-handers would not be there in the World Cup at all. When you select your top six batters, you will get at the most one left-hander. Only one, I am not kidding," Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
"If Rohit and Virat open, and Suryakumar Yadav comes at number three, you do not have a keeper in the top three. If Jitesh (Sharma) is the keeper down the order, he is a right-hander. If Hardik Pandya comes at number, he is a right-hander. Only one left-hander will come in the middle."
"At this point in time, it seems like that left-hander will be Rinku. You might have one or two more left-handers in the squad. Despite the preparations we did for the last year or so to play left-handers, we would not be able to create a place for those left-handers," he explained.
Rinku has had an impressive start to his T20I career, amassing 278 runs in nine innings across 13 matches at an average of 69.50 and a strike rate of over 180.51. In particular, the southpaw has left a mark on everyone with his finishing abilities.
According to Aakash Chopra, spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could be another left-hand choice in the batting line-up.
"When it comes to left-handed batters, it will either be Ravindra Jadeja, or Rinku Singh in the middle, and that's it, because Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Jitesh Sharma - five right-handers," he remarked.
After the winning the first T20I against Afghanistan by six wickets, India are leading the three-match series 1-0. The second T20I will be held in Indore on Sunday (January 14).
(With ANI Inputs)
