Former Indian batter Suresh Raina is against Virat Kohli opening with Rohit Sharma for Team India in T20I cricket. Raina said that the Indian cricket team looks stronger when Kohli bats at number three in the shortest format of the international game.
Talks about Kohli opening alongside captain Rohit in T20Is resurfaced as both returned to India’s T20I squad for the ongoing series against Afghanistan.
Kohli and Rohit had previously opened together in 2021 against England, and even the head coach, Rahul Dravid, discussed the possibility of them opening in the ongoing Afghanistan series or the T20 World Cup 2024.
However, Raina expressed reservations about Rohit and Kohli opening the innings in the T20Is, as he wants Yashasvi Jaiswal to be given the chance in the top order.
Suresh Raina told Hindustan Times: “I prefer Kohli to bat at No.3 because if Yashasvi plays, he will open with Rohit because of that left-right combination. We have seen in the past when Gambhir and Sehwag used to play or when Sachin and Dada (Sourav Ganguly) used to play. And it is not just because of the combination, they are both attacking batters.”
He added, “With Kohli at No.3, India’s line-up looks more solid. He runs between the wickets, and keeps that scoreboard ticking. I feel his ideal position is No. 3. But if the management feels he should open, then Yashasvi can bat at No. 3. But I feel Yashasvi should open because he is young, shows that intent as well so India can get that good early start.”
Notably, Kohli missed the first game due to personal reasons against Afghanistan.
