ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Ex-Australia Skipper Ricky Ponting Answers To Virat Kohli Opening Debate
Published - 20 Sep 2022, 12:52 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:13 AM
Virat Kohli scored his 71st international century after a wait of almost two years. However, the ton has arguably put India in a dilemma. While Kohli has played the majority of his T20I career at No.3 and excelled at it, the century poses the question if Rohit Sharma and Co should consider opening with him at the top with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 approaching in a few week’s time.
In the nine matches where Kohli has opened for India in T20Is, he has scored 400 runs at an average of 57.14 and that, too, at a staggering strike rate of 161.29.
Ponting is wary of the issues surrounding the decision of Virat Kohli opening the innings for India
Speaking to the ICC Review, the Aussie said, “The question we’re going to keep asking is – well I’m sure, the Indian selectors are asking the same question – does that create more of a problem than we thought with Virat getting that 100 opening the batting? What are we going to do now going into the World Cup?”
“So there’s a few other questions that are probably raised on the back of that magnificent 100 that he made. He was even on record saying that he was surprised himself that the first 100 back was actually in a (T20I) game. He thought that that’d be the last option he’d have to score his first hundred in a couple of years”, he added.
Ricky Ponting extended his support to Virat Kohli during his rough patch
After 1,020 days, the wait for Kohli’s 71st century finally came to an end during the Asia Cup when he smashed a stunning 122* off 61 balls against Afghanistan. In the process, he also Ponting’s tally of 71 international tons.
Throughout Kohli’s barren run, Ponting was vocal in his support for the former India captain, even as plenty of former players called for him to be dropped.
