Aakash Chopra Reveals Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma's Ideal Batting Position In T20 World Cup 2024
Former India opener, Aakash Chopra has concurred with Parthiv Patel’s views that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should open the innings for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The duo has opened the innings for India previously and this time they can provide a balance to the team if they choose to open together.
Shubman Gill opened with Rohit Sharma in India’s six-wicket win in the first T20I against Afghanistan on Thursday in Mohali. While Virat Kohli opted out of the first game citing personal reasons, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was supposed to open the innings with the Indian skipper, was ruled out due to a sore right groin. However, Rohit Sharma’s innings ended early because of a mix-up with Shubman Gill while trying to run a single.
Aakash Chopra opined that Parthiv Patel’s suggestion of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opening for India in T20Is is a call to be considered. He reasoned, “Parthiv Patel said a very good thing. He said Virat (Kohli) and Rohit (Sharma) should open. I said it’s not a bad idea. They should open because you want Virat to play in the powerplay.”
The reputed commentator added, “Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should play the first six overs. They are the heart and heartbeat of Indian cricket. It’s like Ronaldo and Messi playing together – what can be better than that? From that standpoint, I liked it a lot, do it.”
Virat Kohli Has A T20I Century While Opening For India
Virat Kohli has opened for India in nine T20Is. However, he has opened the innings only twice since the beginning of 2021. He scored an unbeaten 80 in the 2021 series against England at home and his first-ever T20I century came while opening the innings where he scored 122* against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup 2022.
Aakash Chopra also noted that India can play Suryakumar Yadav at No.3 if Virat Kohli opens the innings. He said, “If that happens, you will be able to play Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) at No. 3, or else you won’t be able to play Surya at No. 3 because Virat Kohli will play at No. 3.”
According to Aakash Chopra, if Virat Kohli doesn’t open for India, they will face some difficulties in adjusting the wicketkeeper-batter in the squad. He explained, “Let’s assume you get Yashasvi (Jaiswal) to open. Then Kohli at No. 3, Surya at No. 4, Rinku (Singh) at No. 5, and Hardik (Pandya) at No. 6. Then who will keep wickets? So you are stuck. So you will ask Rohit and Kohli to open. I am with Parthiv Patel. I liked what he said.”
India can play either Ishan Kishan as an opener or they can go with KL Rahul in the middle-order but given that Ishan Kishan has run out of favor and KL Rahul has never batted below No.3 in T20Is, India will face a dilemma. In both cases, Rinku Singh will have to make way for a wicketkeeper-batter in the squad.
Virat Kohli opening the batting to adjust a middle-order keeper-batter is the most logical solution here. If Virat and Rohit open the innings, India can have KL Rahul bat at No.3 or No.4 or Ishan Kishan at the same position and if they want a bit of firepower, they can have Jitesh Sharma to keep the wickets.
