Virat Kohli to be India's new opening batsman in T20Is
What seemed like only an idea a few weeks ago seems quite certain now. Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli will be the new opener alongside Rohit Sharma in T20Is. It is also most likely that this will be the opening combination for the World T20 later this year as well.
So who has confirmed this? Virat Kohli hasn't said something officially. However, indications are that this is how it is going to be in the days to come and the aforementioned pair could walk out to open the batting for India in the shortest format of the game.
Also, by opening in the first IPL 2021 match against defending champions Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli has given us enough indication that he is more than ready to fit into this role.
Prior to that, he opened for India in the decider last month against England, where he put up a 94-run stand with Rohit in Ahmedabad.
As an opening batsman, Virat Kohli’s strike-rate, like many other successful batsmen in the world, is much better than when he bats at No.3 or No.4. It has also been proven that opening the batting with the best resources could lay the foundation for the ones to come later.
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Virat Kohli opening the batting will be best for the team
With the likes of KL Rahul, Rishab Pant, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja creating waves with a fearless thought process of playing for their team rather than playing like a team, some of the seniors, including Virat Kohli, must be facing the heat to score runs at a faster rate rather than focussing on personal milestones.
Without a shadow of doubt, India’s new band of boys aren’t scared of losing. The likes of Pant, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson want to go out there and whack the ball out of the park. They don’t play for reputation. They play to win and Virat Kohli may have also realized that a strike below 130 is as good as nothing.
To make a bigger impact in the shortest format of the game, going up the order is the best bet for Virat Kohli and his team.
What is also more assuring for Virat Kohli is his impeccable record as an Indian captain in T20I cricket. So no matter how many IPL titles Rohit Sharma wins both as a player and captain, Virat Kohli will continue to lead India in T20Is.
So to sync with new India’s brand of cricket, Virat Kohli needs to play like Pant, who bats in Test matches in T20 style. It's not just about getting those runs, it's also about getting them as quick as possible. Welcome Virat Kohli 2.0 and this time as an opener in T20Is.