Brad Hogg, a well-known left-arm wrist spinner from Australia, argued for a tactical change in India’s T20 World Cup team. He suggested that the opening two batters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, should bat first. Hogg felt that this setup would best utilize Kohli’s abilities and let him succeed at the highest level. The 35-year-old made his T20I comeback against Afghanistan at No. 3, displaying his potential with a quick 29 off 16 balls. But his subsequent outing in Bengaluru for a golden duck brought to light the risks associated with batting lower in the order.
Notably, the former captain of India has performed exceptionally well in the Indian Premier League as an opener for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, building strong alliances with players such as Chris Gayle and Faf Du Plessis.
Hogg emphasized that experienced players like Rohit and Kohli might use the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in June as a springboard to unleash their power-hitting skills in the last overs.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should begin the batting if they are competing in the T20 World Cup, in my opinion. With the fields up and the tempo at his disposal, I believe that’s where he can give it his all. Hogg stated on his YouTube channel, “If you have either Virat or Rohit batting through the innings, you could have perfect stabilization at the backend.”
Suresh Raina wants Kohli to remain at position three.
Virat Kohli’s return to T20Is, according to former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, strengthens India’s experience. As opposed to Brad Hogg’s recommendation, he supported Kohli staying at number three in the batting order. He felt that having a right-handed batter as the anchor would allow players who are strike-makers, like Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal, to express themselves freely. Raina’s viewpoint brought to light the differing views among cricket enthusiasts over Kohli’s potential contribution to the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
“I believe that Kohli ought to bat third.” His background will add a certain firmness, particularly on the difficult pitches in the US and the Caribbean. Although there are young, courageous players like Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, and Shubman Gill, Rohit and Kohli will add a great deal of stability to the team. According to Raina, cited by India Today, “their presence is very important when we chase a target, especially in a high-pressure event like the World Cup.”