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The T20 World Cup 2024, to be jointly hosted by the West Indies and the USA, is set to kick off from June 2, with an opening game between the USA and Canada. This year, the tournament will feature 20 teams competing for the coveted title. As the marquee tournament approaches, former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu, now serving as a cricket expert and commentator, has offered valuable advice to Indian head coach Rahul Dravid for Men in Blue's T20 World Cup campaign. Sidhu, aged 60, recommends that India's playing XI should incorporate five specialist bowlers capable of taking wickets.
Sidhu, during a Star Sports show, was asked as to what advice he would like to give head coach Rahul Dravid to end India's ICC trophy drought in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Sidhu replied:
“Main Rahul Dravid ko ek seedhi si baat bolna chahta hoon. Agar aapko tournament jeetna hai to paanch wicket-taking gendbaazon ke saath jaana hoga. Ye kaafi aasaan hai, aapke paas teen spinner Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, aur Ravi Bishnoi hone chahiye. Jadeja batting aur bowling dono mein number one hai. Kuldeep aur Bishnoi apna kaam jaante hain. Agar turning wicket hai to teeno spinner ko mauka dijiye. Anyatha, teen tez gendbaaz aapke paas hone chahiye.
(If you truly want to win the tournament, you need to adopt a strategy of playing with five wicket-taking bowlers. This approach is quite straightforward. You already have three exceptional spinners in your squad - Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi. Jadeja is a top-class all-rounder, excelling in both batting and bowling. Kuldeep and Bishnoi are also experts in their craft. If the pitch is turning, definitely give all three spinners a chance. Otherwise, you should have three pace bowlers in your lineup).
The BCCI selectors will meet soon in Delhi to finalize the 15-man squad. Reports suggest that some bowling spots are practically locked in. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh are all but confirmed selections, bringing their pace attack expertise. The competition heats up for the sixth bowling slot, with Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, and Avesh Khan all vying for that crucial position.
As far as T20 World Cup 2024 is concerned, India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, the USA, and Canada. Rohit Sharma's brigade will begin their campaign with a clash against Ireland in the bustling city of New York on June 5. Then they will lock horns with their arch-rivals Pakistan Pakistan in New York, just four days later on June 9. Only the top two teams from each group will progress to the Super 8s stage.
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