The third and final T20I of the series between India and Sri Lanka ended in a six-wicket victory for India. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were rested for the three T20Is, while Suryakumar Yadav was ruled out with an injury, leaving the series with a number of first-choice batters missing.
In Kohli's absence, Shreyas Iyer batted at No. 3 in the Indian lineup and put in a masterful performance, scoring 206 runs and going unbeaten in all three matches.
Iyer's outstanding performance adds to captain Rohit Sharma's and the team management's selection headaches as they prepare for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
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Former Indian cricketers Aakash Chopra and Irfan Pathan combined to select their 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup during the pre-match show during the third T20I on Star Sports, and the former suggested an option that could allow Virat Kohli to open for India.
While it seems unlikely, Kohli last opened for India in a T20 against England last year, and the experiment paid off. India put up a mammoth total of 224/2 after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli put on a blistering opening stand of 94 runs in just 9 overs.
However, the Indian squad's abundance of opening options prevented Kohli from returning to the starting position. Aakash, on the other hand, found a way to reintroduce Kohli to the starting lineup.
“Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant are all certain in the 15 (15-member squad for the World Cup). They also give you an option to open with Kohli and play Rahul in the middle-order. Rahul can also be your second wicketkeeping option,” Aakash said.
“You need a left-hander in the middle-order and Rishabh Pant fills that space. Ravindra Jadeja has also been tried in the middle-order recently (in the T20Is against Sri Lanka).”
Meanwhile, Pathan has named two players who he believes will be in the XI for the T20 World Cup.
“I think SKY (Suryakumar) and Pant are in the XI, you can take that in writing. I know there is still time and they have to keep performing, but the way SKY has cemented his place in the XI, it's really worthy of praise,” said Pathan.
