After the BCCI selectors announced a 15-member squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup, all eyes are on the potential playing XI when the Indian cricket team starts its campaign against Pakistan on October 23. With the Indian squad bearing a tried and tested look, all the named players have enough experience on their side. So, picking a perfect XI might be a difficult job for the team management. Former Indian cricket team player Irfan Pathan has given his take on the ideal playing XI and has omitted wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant from it.

“See, in my opinion, if you’re playing the first match, you need to have some experienced bowlers including one spinner. So, from the top, my playing 11 would be – Rohit, KL Rahul, number three – Virat (Kohli), number four – Suryakumar Yadav, number five – Deepak Hooda, number six – Hardik Pandya, number seven – Dinesh Karthik, number eight will be a right arm leg spinner so it would be (Yuzvendra) Chahal, 9 to 11, here there will be Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel and along with that you can go for Bhuvaneshwar Kumar,” Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports.

“So, there will be a combination here, three fast bowlers out of which two are quality fast bowlers, who will be able to bowl at the death as well. And I will make sure that I have the combination and the liberty to choose from the three fast bowlers, even Arshdeep (Singh) to handle the death bowling So, in my opinion, in the playing 11, the spinner is clear, it’s just whether I can make space for Arshdeep in the team.”

Promoted

India squad for ICC T20 World Cup:Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.

Standby players –Mohd. Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.