T20 World Cup 2024: Former Indian cricketer names key players to watch out for

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With the T20 World Cup 2024 just around the corner, former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has weighed in on India's strategy and highlighted key players to watch out for in the upcoming tournament.

As Team India readies itself for the cricketing extravaganza set to kick off this Sunday in the West Indies and the United States of America, Raina's insights add depth to the anticipation.

India's campaign commences with a clash against Ireland on June 5 in New York, following a warm-up fixture against Bangladesh on Saturday at Nassau County, New York.

Raina emphasized the importance of Virat Kohli in the batting order, suggesting that the star batsman should take on the crucial No. 3 position due to his consistent run-scoring abilities.

“I prefer Virat to play at No. 3 in the World Cup. He’s a run machine. Yashavi is in good form, and I’m sure he will do well as an opener. So, in my opinion, Virat should play at number 3,” Raina said.

Regarding all-rounder Shivam Dube, Raina highlighted his power-hitting prowess, likening it to legendary players like Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.

He emphasized Dube's ability to add valuable runs to the team's total and suggested that his presence could be a game-changer, albeit potentially leading to a selection dilemma if Jaiswal is also in the playing XI.

“Jaiswal is young and he plays fearlessly. The same is the case with Shivam Dube. The management should make a place for him. The way Dube smashes sixes, very few players have such an ability. We have seen Dhoni and Yuvraj doing such power-hitting in the past," he said.

“Dube is your trump card but if Jasiwal is in the XI, then the all-rounder might miss out. So, captain Rohit Sharma has to make the tough decision because Dube’s presence ensures an extra cushion of 20-30 runs,” he concluded.

India is in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and hosts USA. They kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the newly-built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, followed by a highly anticipated match against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. Subsequently, they will face USA and Canada on June 12 and 15, respectively.

India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan