WTC Final: Wasim Jaffer picks his India XI, no place for KS Bharat

Wasim Jaffer shared his India XI for the WTC Final on his Twitter handle.

Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has selected his India XI for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final. India will face Australia in the WTC Final, which begins on June 7th at The Oval.

India was the runners-up in the previous edition as well, losing to New Zealand in the WTC Final last year in Southampton. Meanwhile, this will be Australia's first WTC Final.

Leading up to the highly anticipated Test, former players are sharing their preferred playing elevens, with Wasim Jaffer being the latest to express his views.

Wasim Jaffer's India XI:

The former Indian cricketer, Wasim Jaffer, took to Twitter to share his India XI. He suggests opening with captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Cheteshwar Pujara would bat at number three, followed by Virat Kohli.

Jaffer has chosen Ajinkya Rahane for the number five position. Notably, Rahane had been out of favor with the Indian team for a while but has returned after his performance in the recently concluded IPL 2023.

Interestingly, Jaffer has opted for Ishan Kishan as the wicket-keeper, choosing him over KS Bharat. According to his post, he wants Ishan Kishan to bat at number six.

Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammad Siraj are his picks for the bowlers. Shardul Thakur did not make the list.

Wasim Jaffer stated in an interview with the Indian Express that the Indian openers will have a significant role to play and called England the most challenging place to bat.

"The openers will have to play a massive role. England is the most challenging place to bat due to the sideways movement. As the ball gets old, it will continue to swing and also start to reverse," he said.

He also mentioned that Pat Cummins would be a formidable opponent with the Duke's ball.

"With Starc and Cummins bowling at 145 kph, it is going to be challenging. Cummins will be a different beast with the Duke's ball. If the conditions slightly favor them, they will make life miserable for the Indian openers," Jaffer added.