Why Virat Kohli Should Open Batting For India With Rohit Sharma In T20 World Cup 2024? Brad Hogg Explains

New Delhi: Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg reckoned that Virat Kohli should open the batting for India with Rohit Sharma in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies. There have been a lot of speculations going on in the media regarding Kohli and Rohit’s participation in the mega showpiece. However, according to experts, the senior Indian duo should play in the T20 World Cup.

Originally a No.3 batter in white-ball cricket, Kohli opened the batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and was successful. Hogg’s opinion came off the view that if established players like Kohli and Rohit bat up the order and settle down, it will help them with death-over batting prowess, which might prove crucial in the tournament.

“If Virat Kohli is playing in the T20 World Cup, I would like to see him opening the batting with Rohit Sharma. That’s where I think he can get the best out of him with the fields up and he can use the pace. At the backend, if you have one of Rohit or Virat batting through the innings, you could have perfect stabilization,” said Hogg on his YouTube channel.

Kohli returned to India’s T20I fold last month against Afghanistan at home. Before the Afghanistan series, Kohli played a T20I for India during the T20 World Cup in 2022. In two matches against Afghanistan, Kohli scored 16-ball 29 (second T20I) and a a golden duck (third T20I).

However, Kohli’s former India teammate Suresh Raina felt the star batter should stick to his No.3 position. Raina opined that Kohli’s presence in the middle-order as an anchor would help the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rinku Singh to play freely.

”I think Kohli should bat at No. 3. His experience will bring some solidity, especially in the challenging pitches in the US and the Caribbean. There are fearless, young cricketers like Jaiswal, Rinku Singh or Shubman Gill, but Rohit and Kohli will give the unit a lot of solidity. Their presence is very important when we chase a target, especially in a high-pressure event like the World Cup,” Raina was quoted by India Today.

Notably, the series against Afghanistan was India’s last bilateral T20I assignment before the World Cup. The Indian team are currently playing in the Test series against England. Post that, the Indian players will engage themselves in IPL 2024, which will act as a preparation for the T20 World Cup.