Former India selector Saba Karim said that Virat Kohli seems to be enjoying opening the innings in T20 cricket and fans can except him to partner 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 Kohli’s 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 Kohli’s batting position in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The former India selector feels that 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.
“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,” he added.
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.
On Sunday, Kohli played a knock of 51 runs against the defending champions Mumbai Indians and became the first Indian batsman to score 10,000 runs in the shortest format of the game.
The India captain is only the second batsman after West Indies’ Chris Gayle to achieve the milestone in both T20 and ODI cricket.