(AFP Photo)
Shifting Virat Kohli’s batting position would also entail relocating Rishabh Pant to No. 5, a slot where he hasn’t thrived unless India is willing to rearrange their lineup.
It’s hard to avoid discussing Virat Kohli during a T20 World Cup, especially when he’s not performing up to his usual standards. Kohli boasts an unparalleled record in T20 World Cups, consistently delivering stellar performances. Therefore, his recent scores of 1, 4, and 0 in this tournament are particularly disappointing. Despite these setbacks, Kohli maintains his position atop the list of highest run-scorers in T20 World Cups, with an impressive tally of 1167 runs in 30 matches, boasting an average of 67.41.
To underscore Kohli’s dominance, no other batter in the top 30 of this list averages over 50. This underscores Kohli’s exceptional consistency on cricket’s grandest stage, enduring the test of time with remarkable poise. His memorable innings against Pakistan and Australia in previous editions stand as testament to his prowess. However, it’s worth noting that Kohli’s success has largely come while batting at No. 3, a position synonymous with his batting style.
In this World Cup, though, the Indian team management has tasked him with opening the batting, a role he’s familiar with from his performances for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and occasional appearances in international cricket. Despite his previous success at the top, the unique challenges posed by the pitches in New York and the aggressive approach demanded from the opening overs might have unsettled Kohli’s usual rhythm. Consequently, he hasn’t appeared as comfortable during the matches against Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA.
After three consecutive low scores, questions naturally arise. Should India reconsider Kohli’s role as an opener? India entered this World Cup with an unconventional batting lineup, featuring Rohit Sharma and Kohli as openers and Rishabh Pant at No. 3. While Kohli has struggled to find form, Pant has excelled in this position, particularly on sluggish tracks.
Moving Kohli from the opening slot would necessitate pushing Pant down to No. 5, where he hasn’t been as effective unless the team leadership opts for another surprise by swapping their batting positions.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar remains optimistic about Kohli’s form, suggesting that his recent scores in New York shouldn’t be overanalyzed, as none of the batters have found it easy to perform on those challenging tracks. Bangar believes that Kohli will rediscover his touch during the Super 8 matches.
“Yeah, I agree that Virat Kohli hasn’t scored in the New York leg, but none of the other batsmen have also managed to score a lot of runs on this track. This is a tricky surface, and therefore, I feel that a big score is just around the corner. He is a player who has excelled at the World Cup events and once the tournament moves to the next phase, those competitive juices will start flowing again and he will start putting up performances for his team,” Bangar told Star Sports.
India has already secured their spot in the Super 8 stage. Their upcoming Group A fixture will be against Canada on Saturday. Yet, the unpredictable weather in Florida poses a significant challenge, potentially disrupting the possibility of completing a full match.
