Former player Matthew Hayden believes India have a well-balanced squad heading into the all-important 2024 T20 World Cup. He said that they have a left and right-handed opening combination, with the in-form Virat Kohli batting at No. 3. Although both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma have had middling runs in IPL 2024, they will likely open for the country at the global event starting next month.

On the Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues’, Hayden said, “Excellent balance for Team India. Three (four) spinners in the squad, which I think is a good strategy for the West Indian conditions, not so sure about that up in the Americas. A superb and experienced batting lineup, left and right-hand combination at the top, Kohli at three.”

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While saying that Team India have an experienced captain in Rohit and good pacers in Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the former Australian opener also added that T Natarajan could have been a good addition as well.

“Rohit Sharma as a leader – well settled, well organized, gone through many campaigns before. Fast bowlers in Bumrah and Siraj, I think strong selections. Would have liked to probably see a Natarajan, someone at the death that could come in and deliver like he has done in the IPL. However, overall very balanced and very good squad,” Hayden explained.

“Its strength is its world-class innovative batters. When you look at the squad, you think of Suryakumar Yadav, you think of Jaiswal – they do stuff differently than players of any other generation or any other talent. The X-factor will be Rishabh Pant. He is also a huge bonus. Your spinning options are very good. Having wrist-spinners in your team along with Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) and Axar Patel, who probably won’t play, that just lends weight to the fact that you have got spinning all-rounders. That gives you depth of batting, and you have got the best fast bowler in this format in Jasprit Bumrah,” Matthew Hayden concluded.