'We do have a solid middle-order now': Virat Kohli reveals if he will continue opening the innings for Team India

Kohli was back at the top after the India-Ireland T20I in 2018 as the hosts decided to field an extra bowler at the expense of regular opener KL Rahul.

One thing must have been common following the India vs England 5th T20I right from the toss – anticipation. How would Virat Kohli fare in his first innings as a T20I opener in close to three years? Will he be able to negate leg-spinner Adil Rashid’s threat with the new ball? What if he takes too much pressure on him from the beginning?

India's captain Virat Kohli raises his bat to celebrate scoring fifty runs during the fifth Twenty20 cricket match between India and England at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, (AP)

Kohli answered them all by batting through the innings for the first time in his career with a record-breaking unbeaten 80 on Thursday, which served the immediate purpose of putting up a huge total – the biggest that India have ever set against the Three Lions in T20Is - in front of England but in the longer run resurfaced another much-talked-about question – should Kohli continue to open for India in T20Is?

This was answered too by Kohli after India’s series-clinching 36-run win in Ahmedabad on Saturday. He did not directly stake a claim to the opener’s spot but did give enough indications that he might continue that even in the T20 World Cup later this year.

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“Tonight it was classic Rohit Sharma and if he plays more freely like that...Suryakumar and Hardik in the end - I enjoyed the partnerships. Yes, I'm going to open in the IPL as well,” said Kohli at the post-match presentation.

When asked whether he will do the same in the Indian blues, Kohli said he would like to partner Rohit Sharma at the top.

“We do have a solid middle-order now - it's about the two best players getting maximum no of balls in T20 cricket. I'd like to partner Rohit at the top and the other guys feel confident when one of us is in. I'd like that to continue,” Kohli said.

Kohli was back at the top after the India-Ireland T20I in 2018 as the hosts decided to field an extra bowler at the expense of regular opener KL Rahul.

As it turned out, Rohit and Kohli put together a fiery 94-run stand that created the perfect base for the likes of Surykaumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya to play their natural game and help India to 222 for 4, which proved to be 36 runs more for even the powerful England line-up.

Virat Kohli as opener in T20Is

Inns - 8

Runs - 278

Ave - 39.71

SR - 148.66

50s - 2

Virat Kohli as an opener in IPL

Inns - 61

Runs - 2345

Ave - 46.90

SR - 140.16

100s/50s - 5/15

If Kohli does decide to open the batting with Rohit in the T20 World Cup, it would not only allow Kohli to pace innings even better but will also open up a spot in the middle-order or give them the licence to field six bowlers.