Saba Karim, the former India selector, said that Virat Kohli seems to be enjoying opening the innings in T20 cricket, and fans can expect him to partner with Rohit Sharma at the upcoming T20 World Cup. Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli seems to be finding his groove in the T20 format.
The 32-year-old batter scored back-to-back half-centuries in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, and runs flowing from his bat is a good sign not just for RCB but also for the Indian team, feels former selector Saba Karim. In a podcast on YouTube, Saba Karim also gave his views on what could be Virat Kohli’s batting position in the upcoming T20 World Cup. In the UAE leg, Virat Kohli scored 5, 53 and 51 in the first 3 games.
He seems to be enjoying this role: Saba Karim
The former India selector feels that Virat Kohli might pair up with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order during the T20 World Cup, slated to be played in the UAE and Oman from October 17.
In India’s recent England limited-overs series in early 2021, India dropped KL Rahul in the fifth T20 International (T20I) against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to accommodate an extra bowler in the form of T Natarajan.
Captain Virat Kohli moved up to open the inning alongside Rohit Sharma, and the pairing gave India a blistering start. Their 94-run partnership in nine overs set India up for a mammoth total of 224/2, with Rohit Sharma taking on the role of aggressor, blazing 64 off 34 deliveries.
“It looks like Virat Kohli might open the innings in the T20 World Cup. He seems to be enjoying this role. He has hit back-to-back half-centuries. He is scoring runs at a good strike-rate. His concept is good, he knows which shots to play and what risks to take,” Saba Karim said on a YouTube show ‘Khelneeti’.
“Virat Kohli’s form is a good sign for RCB and for the Indian team. From here, everyone is waiting for him to get a big score. If you are opening the batting and your strike-rate is good after the end of the powerplay, then you must put on a big total on the board for your team,” Saba Karim added.
Virat Kohli, who has gone two years without scoring a century in international cricket, is showing signs of returning to his best in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. The RCB skipper has hit 3 fifties in IPL 2021, amassing 307 runs in 10 games averaging 34.11. He is the only player to score above 6000 IPL runs.
Virat Kohli Became The First Indian Batsman To Score 10,000 Runs In T20s
