India may now breathe easier thanks to Virat Kohli's return to form. And the timing couldn't have been better a s the T20 World Cup approaches in less than a month, Kohli scoring runs is exactly what India needs.
With 276 runs from five innings at an average of 92 during the recently finished Asia Cup, which marked Kohli's return to top-flight cricket after a six-week layoff, Virat emerged as the second-highest run scorer of the tournament. The former India captain also ended his lengthy wait for a century.
However, Kohli's brilliant performance has created a fresh conundrum because many think it could be better for India if he starts the innings. Several former cricket players have reacted differently to the idea of Kohli being the opener; some have been outspoken supporters, while others have been strong opponents.
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Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma spoke at a press conference on Sunday about what to expect and if Virat Kohli can be considered an opener in the shortest format.
"It is always nice to have options available for you. It is important going into a World Cup that you have flexibility. You want the players to be in best shape batting at any position. When we try and do something new, that does not mean that's a problem," Rohit Sharma said.
"For us, we understand the quality of all our players and what they bring for us. But yeah, it is an option (Virat Kohli opening) for us, we will always keep that in mind. Since we have not taken a third opener, he opens for his franchise in the IPL and he has done really well, so it is a definite option for us," he added.
Furthermore, when asked about Virat Kohli opening the batting for India, Rohit referred to him as the side's third opening option and said that he will open in some games but also mentioned that KL Rahul will open the batting in the World Cup.
"Virat Kohli is our third opener and he will open in some of the games. In the last match of Asia Cup, we were happy with the way he played. But KL Rahul will open the batting in the World Cup, his performance sometimes goes quite unnoticed", the Indian skipper said.
Earlier, on Saturday former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir also expressed his views on whether Kohli should open the innings or bat at No.3 position.
"Don't start this nonsense about him (Kohli) opening the batting. He can't open the batting with KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma (available). I even said this on air that there shouldn't even be a debate about this. I will always be flexible about No. 3. If the openers bat out 10 overs, then I will have Suryakumar Yadav at No.3. If an early wicket falls then Kohli," Gambhir said on an episode of 'GamePlan' on Star Sports.
Talking of T20 WC 2022, India would be expecting to make their case strong in the ICC event, especially after a poor outing in 2021, where they couldn’t make it to the semi-final.
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