IND vs IRE: Sunil Gavaskar suggests a new opening partner for Rohit Sharma in T20 World Cup 2024

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar made an interesting comment regarding the India team's opening combination in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup. Sunil Gavaskar suggested that ace batter Virat Kohli should open the batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma in the marquee tournament.

Virat Kohli opened for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The former Indian skipper made the most of the field restrictions in the T20 tournament. He finished as the leading run-getter in the tournament, scoring 741 runs at an impressive strike rate of 154.69.

The selectors named only two opening batters in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. Yashasvi Jaiswal wasn't included in the batting lineup during the warm-up match against Bangladesh in New York on Saturday, June 1. The team management didn't provide a reason for Jaiswal's exclusion.

Virat Kohli also missed the match, as he had arrived a day earlier. Sanju Samson opened the innings with Rohit Sharma. Yashasvi Jaiswal is likely not in the Men in Blue's scheme of things. Virat is expected to open with Rohit in Team India's first World Cup match against Ireland in New York on Wednesday, June 5.

Virat Kohli Deserves To Open The Batting - Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar picked Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as openers, followed by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav in the batting order. Gavaskar revealed Kohli's strong performance in the latter half of the IPL as the reason for this choice.

"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as openers. The way Kohli has batted, particularly the second half of the IPL, he deserves to open the batting with Rohit Sharma, the captain. Seriously, good players are good players. They can bat anywhere, you know whether they're right and left hand," Gavaskar said.

Good Players Are Good Players - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar dismissed the notion of needing a left-hand and right-hand opening pair. Gavaskar said that team management should not waste Virat Kohli's flow and rhythm. The former Indian captain said that walking out alone is different than walking out with a partner.

"So no, I don't think. It's very good to talk on television about left hand-right hand combination, good players are good players. In Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, you have got 2 terrific and 2 fantastic batters. The kind of form Kohli has shown in the IPL, he has to open the batting," Gavaskar added.

"As he is in that flow, he is in that rhythm. You don't want Kohli to wait, even if it is for an over, or even 5 deliveries before he comes out to bat. It is a different feeling when you are walking out with someone to bat. There is a little bit of exchange that they will say let us get going, etc. Walking out alone is different than walking out with a partner," he concluded.

Virat Kohli has batted at No. 3 for India in white-ball cricket. However, he has opened in only nine T20Is. The right-handed batter scored 400 runs at a strike rate of 161.29 in those innings. Notably, Kohli opened alongside Rohit Sharma in a T20I against England in 2021.

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