IND vs CAN: Virat Kohli is flat-track bully? Mohammad Kaif calls for batter's demotion; suggests completely new opening combination

Former batsman Mohammad Kaif has asked the Indian team management to push Virat Kohli back at number 3 to give him the best chance of scoring runs. 

Virat Kohli, who won the Orange Cap in IPL 2024, was picked by the Indian management led by Rahul Dravid to open along with Rohit Sharma. This development was a result of Kohli's sensational performances as an opener for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru where he scored more than 700 runs for only the second time in his Indian Premier League career. 

IPL 2024 was also the only season wherein Virat Kohli had the highest strike rate ever in his career. This season, he struck at a rate of more than 150 with a best of 117 runs against Rajasthan Royals and his 741 runs also included 5 half-centuries. The same was expected from him in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 where he has opened the innings in 3 matches so far. 

However, the T20 WC edition hasn't really gone the way Virat Kohli and the Indian team would have hoped for. From the 3 matches against Ireland, Pakistan, and USA, Kohli has scored just 5 runs. In order for him to get back in form, the right-hand batter only has the game against Canada to fire on all cylinders as after the Group stages, there won't be much time for him to get back in form. 

Why Mohammad Kaif wants Virat Kohli to bat at number 3? 

Mohammad Kaif took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier today and addressed Virat Kohli's situation at number 3. After seeing the former India batter struggle as an opener in the USA's conditions, Kaif claimed that Kohli should be pushed back to his original batting position. Kaif believes that Kohli is a master when it comes to batting at 1st down.

Mohammad Kaif also reminded the benefits of being a number 3 batsman. The former India batter claimed that the 1st down batsman gets an ample amount of time to assess the situation as well as conditions before going out to play. In terms of doing that, Kaif feels that Kohli is a master.  

"See what are the benefits of coming at number 3? The biggest benefit is that you can sit from the dugout and analyze the game - what the bowler is trying to do, how the pitch is behaving and Virat Kohli is a master in that. In my view, Virat Kohli should come to bat at number 3. He has opened in these seaming conditions, batting hasn't been easy," Mohammad Kaif said.

Kaif also takes a dig at Kohli for scoring runs on flat pitches in the IPL 

In the same video, Mohammad Kaif apparently also took a dig at Kohli for only scoring runs at flat Indian batting tracks in the IPL. "Virat Kohli has scored a lot of runs in IPL on the flatter tracks but here the conditions are totally the opposite, here he has to save his wicket which he has done a lot of times from number 3," Kaif concluded.   

Pant with Rohit. Virat back to number 3. That's my wish for the upcoming #T20WorldCup matches. pic.twitter.com/wsMxdNa2Ly

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) June 12, 2024