Rahul Dravid drops major hint about Virat Kohli's batting position ahead of Super 8 clash vs Afghanistan

Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid has addressed key concerns regarding India's playing XI ahead of the crucial ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Super-Eight match against Afghanistan on Thursday, June 20, at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

With Virat Kohli's struggles as an opener in the group stages of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, there have been a lot of speculations about his batting position in the playing XI for the crucial phase of the tournament.

Kohli, who had a stellar IPL 2024, has yet to replicate his scorching form in the tournament, leading to calls for him to be moved down the batting order. Well, Team India captain Rohit Sharma already hinted that the opening combination might remain unchanged for their Super-8 game against Afghanistan.

Rahul Dravid opens up about Virat Kohli's position for Afghanistan clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024

But Rahul Dravid suggested a more adaptable approach. Addressing the media in Barbados, Dravid emphasized the need for flexibility in the batting order. The Indian coach stressed that each game presents unique challenges and that the team must be ready to adapt its strategy accordingly.

He said that changes in the batting lineup are often made with specific match situations in mind, and while they don't always produce the desired results, the intention is to optimize the team's performance based on the conditions and opposition.

Furthermore, Dravid highlighted past instances where the Men in Blue had changed the batting order, like promoting Axar Patel and Rishabh Pant in the lineup during their crucial Group A match against Pakistan. He noted that these adjustments were part of a broader strategy that takes into account factors like match-ups and ground dimensions in T20I cricket.

We can't judge everything based on results: Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid told the media at the pre-match press conference in Barbados: “Each situation is unique. It is hard to keep something set in stone. I believe we should be flexible in our thinking and able to adapt to situations. I feel we have always been conscious of that. A lot of the time, you make these changes keeping something in mind, and it works sometimes or it doesn't, but we can't judge everything based on results."

"For example, in the Pakistan game, we moved Axar up the order or we moved Rishabh up the order as well. You do see a lot more of it happening in the T20 format with teams using match-ups factor or using the dimension of the ground.”

Meanwhile, Dravid kept all their plans under wraps but hinted that one of the wrist spinners, either Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal, might be included in India's playing XI for their Super-8 match against Afghanistan in Barbados.

The Indian head coach admitted the challenges of leaving out quality players, but the conditions and specific requirements made them take those calls. Well, Dravid suggested that the Indian team might opt for an extra spinner against Afghanistan, considering the Barbados pitch is expected to favor spin.