With the T20 World Cup 2024 kicking off on June 2, India are poised to end their 11-year ICC trophy drought. Their campaign begins against Ireland at the Nassau County Stadium in New York on June 5. The Indian team, brimming with talent, boasts a well-rounded squad announced well in advance of the tournament. Selecting the starting XI can be a challenge, given the abundance of exceptional players. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has offered his take on India's ideal playing XI, sparking some debate with his picks.
Harbhajan's surprising choices
Harbhajan's proposed lineup features some unexpected choices. He suggests Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opening pair, despite Virat Kohli's stellar IPL 2024 season as a Royal Challengers Bangalore opener. Kohli finds himself slotted at number 3 in Harbhajan's vision, followed by Suryakumar Yadav at number 4. A significant talking point is Harbhajan's preference for Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper-batter over Rishabh Pant. This selection seems to be influenced by Samson's impressive performance for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, where he amassed 531 runs. However, Pant's recent return to form and his powerful performance in the warm-up match against Bangladesh have generated significant buzz, leaving many to question Harbhajan's decision.
While Harbhajan's XI offers a unique perspective, the final selection will undoubtedly be a strategic choice by the Indian team management. Their goal will be to create a balanced lineup that capitalizes on the strengths of each player and maximises their chances of achieving World Cup glory.
"According to me, Rohit (Sharma) will play and (Yashasvi) Jaiswal will be there alongside him. Virat Kohli will play at No. 3 and then there is Suryakumar Yadav. Then I will say you should play Sanju because he is in very good form," the legend said.
Harbhajan's choice for the bowling attack also raises some eyebrows. He opts for a combination of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja as the designated all-rounders, providing crucial contributions with both bat and ball. Interestingly, his spin attack relies solely on Yuzvendra Chahal. This means experienced spinners like Kuldeep Yadav, who had a phenomenal IPL season with 16 wickets for the Delhi Capitals, and Axar Patel find themselves on the sidelines.
The pace attack, however, sees Harbhajan include all three available options, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj. This decision leaves out the hard-hitting Shivam Dube, who could have offered additional batting depth.
Harbhajan's proposed lineup highlights his preference for a potent pace attack and a single, reliable spinner. However, his decision to exclude in-form players like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel has sparked debate amongst cricket fans and analysts. It will be interesting to see how the actual Indian team management approaches the bowling attack selection, striving for a balanced and effective combination to conquer the T20 World Cup.
"Hardik Pandya at No. 6. Then you will play (Ravindra) Jadeja at No. 7. He is an all-rounder. Yuzvendra Chahal needs to play in my opinion and then three seamers - Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj," Harbhajan added.
This is how Harbhajan Singh's ideal playing XI for India looks like
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (Wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
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