Ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali, head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are India's preferred opening pair, with Shubman Gill potentially slotting in at No. 3 in the absence of Virat Kohli.
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The 35-year-old hasn't landed in Mohali on the eve of the first T20I and will miss the match due to personal reasons.
Jaiswal's inclusion in the team was based on his outstanding performance in IPL 2023, where he emerged as the fifth-highest run-scorer with an impressive tally of 625 runs and a remarkable strike rate of 163.61.
What did Rahul Dravid say?
"As of now, we will be certainly opening with Rohit and Jaiswal," Dravid said. "But when you have a squad, you have to have that flexibility to do whatever is required if that is in the best interest of the team, and gives us the best chance to succeed. So nothing is closed. But certainly, we're really happy with what Jaiswal has done as an opener for us, and he gives us a left-right combination as well at the top."
The young opener continued his stellar form on the international stage since his T20I debut against West Indies in August 2023.
MORE: What should Sanju Samson do to seal a spot for the 2024 T20 World Cup?
Jaiswal has accumulated 430 runs in 14 innings at an impressive strike rate of 159.25. Notably, in T20s since the beginning of 2023, his powerplay strike rate stands at an impressive 163.69.
This remarkable consistency sets him apart, especially when compared to Gill's powerplay strike rate of 138.44 during the same period. As the team looks forward to the upcoming challenges, the left-right combination of Rohit and Jaiswal at the top provides a strong foundation for India's batting.
India vs Afghanistan: Complete Schedule of T20Is
T20I Dates and Schedule
| Date | Venue | Time |
| January 11 | Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali | 7:00 PM |
| January 14 | Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore | 7:00 PM |
| January 17 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore | 7:00 PM |
Complete Indian squad for T20Is against Afghanistan
On Sunday (January 7), the BCCI announced a 16-man squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan.
India T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
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