Ex-England spinner Monty Panesar believes opening the batting is the best option for Virat Kohli for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, beginning on June 1st in West Indies and USA. The 42-year-old also underlined the need for the former Indian captain to not slow down in the middle overs.
Kohli, who has been opening the batting in IPL for a few seasons now, has performed the same role in T20Is. The 35-year-old averages a healthy 57.14 in 9 innings while opening the batting in T20Is, scoring 400 runs alongside a best of 122*. Nevertheless, he is likely to bat at No.3 in the World Cup, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma to be the openers.
When asked about Panesar's expectations from Kohli in the World Cup, he believes the star batter must cash in on the powerplay fully and try to keep a strike rate of over 150 in the middle overs. Paneser reckons that Kohli's current form bodes well for India in the showpiece event.
He told exclusively to FPJ:
"With Virat Kohli, opening the batting is the best option because you want your best batters out there facing as many balls as possible. It’s a similar role that he’s doing what Chris Gayle is able to do – hit sixes and fours and play to that tempo. That’s how he has to look to play in the powerplay. Then he’s got to keep going at 150 or 175 strike rate, try to get to 200 if he can."
"That’s got to be his gameplan. You can’t just slow down in the middle overs. So, give India a really good start and keep going as long as he can and then get out. I think that’s gonna be the best option. I think Virat Kohli batting at this venom and fire power, I think he is looking in unbelievable form."
Virat Kohli became the first Indian in IPL history to win the Orange cap twice:
Meanwhile, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper became the first Indian to win the Orange cap twice in IPL history. The right-hander clinched it the first time in 2016 with a staggering 973 runs and won it this year with a tally of 741.
However, the RCB endured another unsuccessful campaign, getting eliminated from the competition after losing to the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.
