What happened the last time Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opened a T20 innings for India?
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may open the batting for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Although Yashasvi Jaiswal has proven himself as a match-winner in T20Is, the youngster might have to wait to make his T20 World Cup debut. The Indian team management hinted at the same as Jaiswal did not bat at all in the warm-up match against Bangladesh.
Kohli had an incredible IPL season as an opener for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Sharma provided explosive starts at the top of the order for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Also, if Kohli and Sharma open the batting, it will allow India to include both Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya in the playing XI. Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant can take the number three and four positions, while Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel can bat at number seven.
There is a huge possibility of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opening the batting for India in their 2024 T20 World Cup opener against Ireland, but interestingly, the two experienced batters haven't come out to open together for India in the last three years.
In this article now, we will look back at the last T20I where Virat and Rohit opened the batting for India in T20is.
When was the last time Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opened the T20I innings for India?
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last opened the batting together for India on March 20, 2021. It was in the decider of the five-match series against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The match happened behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Virat captained India in that game and he led from the front by scoring an unbeaten 80 off 52. Meanwhile, Rohit smashed 64 off just 34 deliveries. Rohit showed enormous intent, hitting four fours and five sixes while maintaining a strike rate of 188.23. Kohli focused more on strike rotation and ended with seven fours and two maximums in 52 deliveries.
Rohit and Virat added 94 runs for the first wicket in just nine overs against England that night. The English bowling attack featuring Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Jordan, Sam Curran, and Ben Stokes had no answer to Rohit and Virat's batting. Stokes eventually broke the partnership by rattling Rohit's stumps.
The damage had already been done, and the momentum was in India's favor. Suryakumar Yadav then chipped in with a 17-ball 32, while Hardik Pandya smacked an unbeaten 39 off 17 as India finished with 224/2 in 20 overs.
Three out of the four English bowlers who completed their quota of four overs had an economy rate of more than 10 per over. India won that match by 36 runs and secured the series by 3-2.
Judging by how India dominated England in that T20I, the team management may prefer having Virat and Rohit as the opening pair in the T20 World Cup 2024. It will be exciting to see how they perform as opening partners.