The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which got underway in the USA and West Indies on June 1, serves an opportunity to Team India to end their long-standing global trophy drought.
Ahead of their campaign opener against Ireland in New York on June 5, the Men in Blue face a slight dilemma regarding the opening combination.
While Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma would provide a left-right opening combo, there is a school of thought that Virat Kohli should partner the Indian captain at the top.
Notably, Kohli will enter the T20 World Cup on the back of his stunning exploits in the IPL 2024 season, where he amassed 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, including one hundred and five half-centuries. Playing for RCB, the star batter finished the season as the leading run-getter and won the Orange Cap.
Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar is also among the cricket experts who wants Kohli to open the innings alongside Rohit.
"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as openers. The way Kohli has batted, particularly the second half of the IPL, he deserves to open the batting with Rohit Sharma, the captain. Seriously, good players are good players. They can bat anywhere, you know whether they're right and left hand," Gavaskar told Star Sports.
Gavaskar discarded the idea of a left-hand and right-hand opening combination, arguing that the team should look to make the most of in-form Virat Kohli.
"So no, I don't think. It's very good to talk on television about left hand-right hand combination, good players are good players. In Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, you have got 2 terrific and 2 fantastic batters. The kind of form Kohli has shown in the IPL, he has to open the batting," Gavaskar stated.
“As he is in that flow, he is in that rhythm. You don't want Kohli to wait, even if it is for an over, or even 5 deliveries before he comes out to bat. It is a different feeling when you are walking out with someone to bat. There is a little bit of exchange that they will say let us get going, etc. Walking out alone is different than walking out with a partner," he further remarked.
