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'Don't start this nonsense…': Gambhir's ends debate about Virat Kohli's batting position with blunt response
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has given a straightforward verdict on where Virat Kohli should bat for India in T20Is.
With Virat Kohli's return to form, India is breathing easy. And it couldn't have come at a better time. With the T20 World Cup less than a month away, Kohli getting among the runs is just what the doctored ordered for India. In the recently-concluded Asia Cup, which was Kohli's return to top-flight cricket following a six-week-long break, Virat emerged as the second-highest run-getter of the tournament with 276 runs from five innings at an average of 92, during which the former India captain ended his long wait for a century.
Against Afghanistan, opening the innings with KL Rahul in place of a rested Rohit Sharma, Kohli notched up his maiden T20I century and scored 122 not out off 61 balls – the highest individual score by an India batter in T20Is. However, Kohli's explosive innings has thrown open a new quandary as many believe that it might be best suited for India if he opens the innings. The prospect of Kohli the opener has been met with mixed reactions by several former cricketers, with some being in favour of the move, while others being vocal against it. Gautam Gambhir, the former India opener, belongs to the latter.
"Don't start this nonsense about him (Kohli) opening the batting. He can't open the batting with KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma (available). I even said this on air that there shouldn't even be a debate about this. I will always be flexible about No. 3. If the openers bat out 10 overs, then I will have Suryakumar Yadav at No.3. If an early wicket falls then Kohli," Gambhir said on an episode of 'GamePlan' on Star Sports.
While Kohli has shown his desire to open for India in the past when he was the captain – he has on a few occasions, including the limited-overs series against England at home last year and during the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore – the chances of him pipping either captain Rohit or Rahul look highly unlikely. Having said that, Kohli at No. 3 is not a bad idea either. After all, Kohli has been most successful when he has batted in the middle-order. Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden agreed with Gambhir and reckons Kohli at No. 3 is rather invaluable for the Indian team.
"I like Virat at No. 3. He can manipulate the strike; his running is just off the charts. He can control the innings. He might be challenged with spin and he is a great player of fast bowling. I think the top four positions are locked," Hayden, an opener himself, said on the same show.
