(Credit SA Cricket)

Team India will kick off their campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 stages with an exciting match against Afghanistan on Thursday. The game is set to take place at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The Indian team aims to maintain their momentum from the group stage of the T20 tournament.

Before this important match, AB de Villiers, the legendary cricketer from South Africa, suggested that India could perform better by embracing an aggressive approach rather than starting cautiously. This, he believes, could help them seize the initiative early in the game.

“Just make sure you throw the first punch,” the 40-year-old said.

“In the past World Cups, I think they have been a bit conservative, sort of feeling their way into a game,” the South African continued.

“They are such a quality team that I feel they can take a bit of a risk early in the game to get the momentum because there is no looking back once they get the momentum,” de Villiers opined.

The ex-South African batsman also expressed his opinion that Virat Kohli, the standout Indian cricketer, excels in managing the middle phase of matches worldwide. He proposed that Kohli should bat at the pivotal No.3 position rather than opening alongside captain Rohit Sharma.

“I have always said please bat Virat at number three,” he urged.

De Villiers suggested that given the ICC tournament’s shift to the Caribbean for its second phase, it would be strategic for the talented batsman to enter the game at number three in the batting order.

“Especially in better wickets that they will play now, Virat is the go-to guy at number three,” the South African, who shared the dressing room with Kohli for a long time at Royal Challengers Bengaluru said.

Concluding his thoughts, the South African emphasized that Kohli possesses the capability to handle pressure and adapt his game according to the situation, which distinguishes him as a top-notch player on the global stage.

“He can play the attacking game and also pull back and absorb the pressure if necessary He is the best player in the world in the middle overs,” he signed off.