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In-form batter Virat Kohli will open the innings with his captain Rohit Sharma in the upcoming T20 World Cup campaign starting with the game against Ireland on Wednesday. A well-placed source told CricBlogger that it was the unanimous decision of the team management to see these two pros opening the innings for India.
With Kohli scoring 741 runs and winning the Orange Cap in the recently concluded IPL last month from 15 matches as an opener, the management thought that he would be the right choice.
Earlier, there was a talk about the left-right combination throughout the Indian innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal opening the innings with Rohit, but the team finally zeroed in on Kohli because of his ability to score runs in the power play, which he showed in plenty in this year’s IPL.
Both as a captain and player, Kohli had tried to open the innings in the previous two T20 World Cups, but the presence of KL Rahul made it impossible for Kohli to open the innings. Repeatedly, Kohli was told that Rahul wouldn’t be as effective as he is as an opener so he had to stay back one-down.
The Indian team is looking to get some power hitters in the middle-overs, so the brief for Kohli is simple. That is to go out there and find the gaps with some wristy shots and not worry about building the innings. India is surely coming out with a strong game plan and could open the opportunity for Shivam Dube in the playing XI.
With Kohli opening with Rohit, Surya could be one-down followed by Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, which help India to get nine batters, along with Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohd Siraj. India could also enjoy the luxury of seven bowlers in the line-up.
If white-ball cricket is all about having all-rounders, the India team has it in plenty now!
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