India will be squaring off against co-hosts and debutants USA for their next T20 World Cup 2024, Group A match on Wednesday in New York. After pulling-off a stunning victory against Pakistan in a low-scoring thriller, Rohit Sharma and co would be eager to add another win to their brilliant World Cup campaign. On the other hand, USA, who are making their first appearance in the T20 World Cup, left everyone utterly impressed with a surprising Super Over win over Pakistan. The Monank Patel-led side, which is filled with some former Indian players, will look to put up a good show against the might India.
In the first two games, India’s weakest link was Shivam Dube. The Chennai Super Kings’ most valued ‘Impact Player’ is finding it tough on two-paced tracks where the ball is gripping and coming late onto the bat.
But unlike tactician-par-excellence MS Dhoni, who could bench him during CSK’s bowling in the IPL, national skipper Rohit Sharma doesn’t have such luxury and needs to hide him in areas of the field where the ball is expected to travel less.
Dube is a monstrous hitter of spinners on good flat decks and his military medium seam-up stuff does give the Indian skipper cushion to manoeuvre with the bowling combination.
But in a format like T20, the team management, which asked for Dube at the expense of Rinku Singh, would want him to come good.
Else, there is Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 15, who is a way more rounded batter than the big-bodied Mumbaikar.
Two wrist spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, should be given some game time or else they might just enter the Super Eights a bit undercooked in the Caribbean where the pitches will be more spin-friendly.
India’s Predicted XI against USA: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
(With PTI Inputs)
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