Irfan Pathan Advocates for Rishabh Pant at No. 3 in T20 World Cup Opener

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has advocated for Rishabh Pant to bat at No. 3 in India's T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland. Pathan believes this strategy, which proved successful in the warm-up match against Bangladesh, would provide India with a left-handed batter in the powerplay, making it difficult for opponents to trap him on the off-side.

Pathan's proposed playing XI includes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as openers, followed by Pant at No. 3. He also suggests including Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya in the batting lineup. For the bowling department, Pathan selects Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as spinners, along with three pacers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj.

However, Pathan acknowledges that the team composition may need to be adjusted when India plays in the West Indies. He proposes replacing one of the pacers with Axar Patel, who provides a solid all-rounder option at No. 8.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #RishabhPant, #IrfanPathan, #TeamIndia, #CricketStrategy