NEW DELHI: The cricketing world has been abuzz with discussions about whether Virat Kohli should open with skipper Rohit Sharma in the T20 World Cup. This debate has gained momentum following Kohli’s remarkable performance in the IPL 2024, where he emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 741 runs in 15 innings.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who criticised Kohli for his slow strike-rate during the first half of IPL, on Sunday also joined in the debate and voiced his support for the star batsman 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 said in conversation with Star Sports.
Gavaskar also expressed his disagreement with the idea of selecting the opening pair based on the left-right combination. He argued that the team should not make an in-form Kohli wait in the dugout just to accommodate a left-handed opener.
“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.”
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,” Gavaskar added.