T20 World Cup 2024: Three reasons why India should drop Virat Kohli and bring in Yashasvi Jaiswal as opener

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T20 World Cup 2024: India qualified for the Super 8 of T20 World Cup 2024 after beating USA by seven wickets at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, June 12. India would be playing their last group stage match against Canada in Florida on Saturday (June 15) before leaving for the West Indies for the Super 8 round.

The Men in Blue managed to win each of their three matches on the tricky New York Pitch, but will need to address a few issues before moving to the next leg of the ICC showpiece event. Virat Kohli's poor form has emerged as one of the worrying factors for India.

One may argue that all the batters struggled at the pace-friendly New York pitch which was also dual-paced in nature, but runs from Kohli's bat were expected. The former India captain got in the team because of his vast experience and reputation to deliver in ICC events, however he has got out for 1,4, and 0 in his first three outings.

Kohli has been promoted to open with Rohit Sharma but may be the old Kohli was needed to navigate through the challenges on tricky New York pitch. The 35-year-old's new tendency to attack from the beginning in T20 cricket paid dividends in the IPL 2024, but not in T20 World Cup 2024 matches in New York.

Should or can India drop Virat Kohli to bring in flamboyant Yashasvi Jaiswal in India playing eleven as an opener? Here are the three reasons why India should drop Virat Kohli.

T20 World Cup Trophy > An Individual Player: It's not at all about disrespecting a player who has done so much for the Indian cricket team. It's an unbiased cricketing decision which should at least be considered.

Yashasvi Jaiswal coming in for Virat Kohli as an opener can give a new flair to the Indian batting unit. Also the right-hand and left-hand combination will come into play, forcing the bowlers to adjust their lengths and plans.

While Kohli has an experience of opening in IPL and on batting-friendly Indian pitches, Yashasvi Jaiswal is a natural opener with a T20I strike rate of 161.93. The exuberance of youth can do wonders for Team India but they will need to show guts and make a massive decision by dropping Kohli.

Take lessons from Australia and England: Steve Smith, one of the greatest batters of the generation, is not even in the Australia squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. He is happily doing his commentary job for the tournament.

Same is the case with Joe Root, who is busy playing golf and supporting England from far away. But India are not only having Rohit Sharma and Kohli in their squad but also opening with them.

Pitches are slow, run-scoring is difficult but it's the opening overs which sets the tone in T20 cricket. India might be making a big mistake. They could be just one decision away from making a big difference in the remainder of their campaign.

The Rohit Sharma factor and team composition: The below-par form of captain Rohit Sharma is one more reason why Virat Kohli should be benched. The Indian captain scored a fifty in the first match before getting out for 13 against Pakistan, and three against USA.

Having two out-of-form players at the top isn't a good idea for any team. Also, sending Kohli back at three would mean forced changes in the batting orders of Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav. Bringing in Yashasvi Jaiswal to open would require India to do away with a bowling option.