IND v ENG 2021: “Kohli should push Rahul down in playing XI, as Dhoni had done with him,” advises Chopra

Chopra recalled Dhoni asking Kohli to bat at 4 during WI ODI series in 2014.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra said that Virat Kohli should take a leaf out of his predecessor MS Dhoni’s playbook and think of pushing KL Rahul down the order to give him space to breathe.

KL Rahul has been struggling to find form with the bat in the ongoing five-T20I series against England, as the opener has made just 1, 0, and 0 in the three matches. He became the first Indian opener to make back-to-back ducks in T20Is.

Ahead of the fourth do-or-die T20I against England in Ahmedabad, India has a difficult choice of selecting their openers among Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan. India has tried a variety of opening combinations in the series.

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In the first, it was Rahul and Dhawan. The left-hander was replaced by debutant Kishan in the second while Rohit came back to take his spot with Rahul as his partner in third.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has now suggested another pair for India in the fourth T20I on Thursday. Chopra said India should open with Rohit and Kishan and bring Rahul down to No.4.

He reminded people that MS Dhoni had done the same with Virat Kohli, as he was demoted to no.4 against the West Indies in ODIs, right after his loss of form during the 2014 Tour of England.

“Since Ind is unlikely to field 5 bowlers, how about opening with Rohit-Ishan...Kohli at 3. And Rahul at 4? Dhoni had also pushed Kohli down the order vs WI after that nightmarish tour to Eng in 2014. Sometimes a little change is all you need to regain form. My two cents. #INDvENG,” Chopra tweeted.

Kohli batted at No. 3 in the first ODI but could only manage two runs. MS Dhoni then decided to promote Ambati Rayudu to no.3 position and dropped Kohli to No. 4 in the next game.

India's famed top order has failed to cope with the pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer.