Virat Kohli’s batting position in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has been a topic of debate and AB de Villiers, former RCB teammate of Kohli has shared his opinion on the same.
Virat Kohli’s IPL 2024 ended as RCB lost to RR in the Eliminator match of the IPL 2024 on May 22. This ended a fairytale run for the franchise.
The season was memorable for RCB because they were on the verge of elimination after winning only one of their first eight games, but they won their next six by large margins and defeated defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a virtual knockout match to secure the final playoff spot based on net-run-rate.
However, the 17-year-old’s lengthy search for the trophy continues with the loss to RR. Nonetheless, the team’s success this season has earned a lot of praise from fans, pundits, and players.
Virat Kohli was at the forefront of the amazing RCB comeback as he slammed 741 runs in 15 games in IPL 2024 at a strike rate almost touching 160. He even scored a century in the tournament with multiple fifties as well.
“I feel Virat Kohli is a number three batsman” – AB de Villiers
As the IPL 2024 moves towards its end, the focus gradually shifts towards the Indian team combination for the T20 World Cup. India will play its first match on June 5 against Ireland and will then clash on June 9 against Pakistan. India will also play Canada and USA in their Group A matches, with all encounters to be played in America.
Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal form a formidable right-left opening combination, but to accommodate Suryakumar Yadav at number three, Kohli may be asked to open instead of Jaiswal in the ICC event commencing June 1.
However, De Villiers believes the former India captain’s opener is a bad idea.
“I feel he’s a number three batsman and that’s where he’s most impactful. He’s almost like the captain of the batting team everywhere he goes. He keeps the calmness and the composure within the batting unit.
I know Virat himself really enjoys opening, which is great. You’ve got to respect that from a man who’s played the game for many years. He understands his game really well and he understands what he wants out of the game as well,” de Villiers told PTI.
“But if I was playing a TV game, Xbox, he would come in at number three in my team. I feel there’s too much risk in those first couple of overs to go and ask Virat to take the game on, to hit the ball in the air. All I want him to do is to bat between overs 4 and 16-17, somewhere there. I feel that’s where he’s best in the world by a country mile and that’s where he’s most impactful,” he asserted.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have opened for India only once in T20Is.