Former South African captain AB de Villiers has urged the Indian think tank to let Virat Kohli bat at his previous position of number three. Kohli has managed only five runs in the T20 World Cup 2024 while opening the innings for the team.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was 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.

The talisman was dismissed for a solitary run against Ireland and then could only score four runs against Pakistan. Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck against the USA as his horrid run continued. AB de Villiers, who observed Virat Kohli from close quarters while playing for RCB, said the linchpin can play according to the match situation while batting at one down.

“I have always said please bat Virat at number three. Especially in better wickets that they will play now, Virat is the go-to guy at number three. He can play the attacking game and also pull back and absorb the pressure if necessary. He is the best player in the world in the middle overs. I do not see any reasons (for opening),” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers wants India to adopt an aggressive batting approach to break their World Cup hoodoo. 

“Just make sure you throw the first punch. In the past World Cups, I think they have been a bit conservative, sort of feeling their way into a game. They are such a quality team that I feel they can take a bit of a risk early in the game to get the momentum because there is no looking back once they get the momentum,” De Villiers added.

India will begin their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.