While the Indian roster for the ICC T20 World Cup was largely expected, it has fueled ongoing discussions regarding the team's batting strategy. Many cricket experts and former players have been debating the best way to structure the batting order, with former opener Wasim Jaffer now adding his perspective to the conversation.
There was not any major surprise in the selection of the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup. A lot of talk and discussions have been going around about the way Men in blue should bat when setting a target. Several former cricketers and experts have been expressing their views on India’s batting order. The latest to join the bandwagon is former India test opener, Wasim Jaffer.
The 44-year-old veteran has called on captain Rohit Sharma to experiment by letting Rishabh Pant open the innings. Jaffer drew a parallel to 2013, recalling how MS Dhoni's decision to move Rohit to the opening position fundamentally changed the trajectory of Rohit's career.
In a recent tweet, Jaffer expressed his belief that Pant is most effective in T20s when he starts the innings, provided Rohit is willing to slot in at number four. He reminded followers that Dhoni took a similar leap of faith with Rohit before the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy—a move that proved historic—and suggests Rohit should now do the same for Pant. For his preferred top order, Jaffer listed KL Rahul, Pant, Virat Kohli, Rohit, and Suryakumar Yadav.
Pant has had a tough time finding his rhythm and picking the right shots while batting in the middle order. However, his natural power-hitting is a perfect match for the T20 format, and moving him to the top could be the solution. Meanwhile, former captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has advised KL Rahul to stop overthinking and just play his natural game.