Simon Dole recently spoke about India's expected batting lineup in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli was one of the cricketer-turned-commentator's first choices. Dhule suggested that Kohli, who has a stellar track record, should spearhead India's batting instead of playing at number three.
Kohli has a history of opening for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL for several seasons. His performances included scoring 3,930 runs as an opener, with a strike rate of 135.93, alongside 8 centuries.
This year, he has been the opening pitcher for RCB and is on the list of top run-scorers. He scored 319 runs in six games and is the current Orange Cap holder. In IPL 2024, he scored an average of 79.75 and a strike rate of 141.77. His highest score to date is 113 not out.
In contrast, his role in international cricket has usually been in other batting situations, where he has batted first only nine times, but still posted a high strike rate of 161.29.
However, Duru believes that if Kohli plays at No. 3, it will be difficult for Rinku Singh to get a chance to slot into the No. 11.
“As part of India's starting lineup, Rinku has to play. Therefore, Virat has to take the lead in the batting. Now, it's up to you who he talks to, Rohit Sharma or Jaiswal. But Kohli has to be open because that's his best position in the modern game. He hits fast bowlers better than anyone and he times the ball brilliantly. Against spin. “Starting in the starting lineup is not the best option for him,” he said.
No gills or pants
Duru believes players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant will not be selected in India's squad for the T20 World Cup. Instead, he supports Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper and praises Shivam Dube for playing the middle-order role. Cricbuzz's cricket expert Joy Bhattacharjya reminded him that both KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan would be good choices as a wicketkeeper-batsman combination.
Dole's batting suggestion includes Sanju Samson who could bat at number three, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, followed by Dube and Singh. He wants Ravindra Jadeja as a lower middle-order batsman.
Here are Dole's suggestions for India's batting line-up.
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Ravindra Jadeja.
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