India next face arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9 (Sunday).
The Indian team kicked off their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign on a strong note by registering a comprehensive 8-wicket victory in their tournament opener against Ireland.
However, there was a lot of anticipation surrounding the playing XI, especially with the position of former India skipper Virat Kohli.
As expected, Kohli didn’t bat in his regular No.3 position but was instead slotted at the top to open the innings alongside current captain Rohit Sharma.
The move did not click for Kohli as he could manage just 1 run in 5 deliveries before departing.
Echoing on the same lines ahead of the upcoming high-octane India vs Pakistan clash on June 9 (Sunday), former Pakistan cricketer Karman Akmal opined that the Men in Blue were committing a mistake by opening with Kohli.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akmal said, “I don’t think the batting order is correct. Virat Kohli can take the pressure at No.3 and finish the match. That is very important for Team India. Yashasvi Jaiswal should open the batting. Kohli should come at 3. If India stick to this batting order (of Kohli) opening, then they may get stuck at some point. Kohli holds one end up and finishes off the game. I think India are making a mistake by opening with Kohli.”
To put things into perspective, Kohli has batted as an opener in T20Is just 10 times, whereas he has played 80 innings in the one-down position, which Akmal considers his best spot.
Although Kohli’s average as an opener in T20Is is a commendable 50, his performance at No. 3 is even more impressive, boasting an average of nearly 54 across 80 innings.
The match against Ireland marked only the second occasion Rohit and Kohli opened together in a T20I, with their first instance occurring in 2021.
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