Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra is optimistic that Virat Kohli should continue to open in the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup. Kohli could only score five runs in three matches of the group stage of the T20I showpiece while opening the innings.
This is the first time when Kohli is opening the innings in the T20 World Cup and the conditions in New York were challenging for the batters. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was once again at his absolute best for RCB, scoring 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69 in IPL 2024 while opening the innings.
Kohli has all the experience under his belt and he would want to make the most of it in the Super 8 stage.
“A big question that is doing the rounds is – Should Virat Kohli open? I am saying – Yes sir, 100% Virat Kohli should open, and if he opens in this game, I even feel it could be a Player-of-the-Match-like performance because he is that kind of player and has done well against this team as well,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra reckons India wouldn’t want to change their tactics despite Kohli being short of runs.
“It hasn’t been good thus far, so as they say he will be very hungry. The run machine himself satiates his hunger for runs by scoring runs. So I feel Virat Kohli should firstly open. You wouldn’t want to change your game plan entirely based on what happened in New York,” Chopra stated.
Chopra added that Yashasvi Jaiswal will need to wait for his chance. He backed the same batting order for India which played against the USA in the last game.
“Yashasvi (Jaiswal) will have to wait. Virat Kohli to open with Rohit Sharma. This will be my first thought. Then Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4. It’s mandatory for both of them to do well. The form Shivam Dube has got now, it’s thumbs up with both hands. His name came in the team based on his performances in the last series he played against this team,” he said in the same video.
The renowned commentator backed Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya to bat at number five and six respectively.
“The IPL got attached later. He did so well against Afghanistan in Mohali and Indore that you said he needed to be selected. He has regained form and scored a few runs with hard work in the last match. He was selected for these grounds and spin-dominated bowling in the opposition. So Shivam Dube and then Hardik Pandya,” Chopra reasoned.
India will begin their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.
