Ravi Shastri names two players essential to India's T20 World Cup dreams

Rajasthan Royals` Yashasvi Jaiswal is clean bowled by Sunrisers Hyderabad`s T Natarajan (Pic: AFP)

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has picked out two players set to debut at senior ICC events for India - Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube - as key to the team's hopes in the Caribbean and USA for the T20 World Cup in June.

Jaiswal and Dube were named in India's 15-member squad for the tournament beginning next month. While the former was in top form in the ICC World Test Championship series against England with a record tally of runs, Dube has smashed 26 sixes in 11 matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League and is in top form with the bat.

"The two gentlemen you've got to watch out for, and both are left-handers, both playing their first World Cup. One is [Yashasvi] Jaiswal. We know a lot about him, he did extremely well against England, explosive at the top of the order, left-hander, he's young, he's fearless and he'll play shots," Shastri told ICC.

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Shastri went on to pick Dube as another player to watch out for from the Indian squad.

"But there's someone in the middle order, please watch out for [him], because he is explosive, he's devastating and he's a match-winner. He hits sixes for fun, and when it comes to spin bowling, he can kill you," the former Indian cricketer said.

"He'll park a few balls out of Long Island into the small island, he's that kind of a player. He hits it big, he hits it long, and like I said, against spin, he could kill you. Even against the fast bowlers, he's worked out his game, he's understood the way to play and I think he holds the key at that number five, number six position because if you're on the doldrums, you want someone to change it in 20-25 balls, he's the player to go to," Shastri added.

Dube has struck at a rate of 170.73 in IPL 2024 while also averaging over 40 for his 350 runs in 11 games this year.

The left-hander was singled out for huge praise by Shastri, who thinks Dube's big-hitting could unlock big totals for India in the competition.

"His strike rate, which will be close to 200 most of the time, will help India immensely in going forward, getting those 190s, 200s that are needed in big competitions, especially like the T20 World Cup. So enjoy it, watch out for this left-hander -- he's big, he's strapping, and he hits a long ball," India's legendary player concluded.

(With agency inputs)