With Rohit Sharma’s Team India set to take on Afghanistan in their first fixture of the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup, former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke has given his honest assessment of the batting form of superstar Virat Kohli. Tipped to top the batting charts in the T20 World Cup, Kohli has failed to record a single double-digit score in the ongoing edition of the ICC event.
Kohli's appointment as opener partner to Rohit at the World Cup has kept Yashasvi Jaiswal on the bench. With Jaiswal waiting in the wings, Kohli's form has become a major talking point in Indian cricket. Will India change its winning combination by adding Jaiswal, or should the Men In Blue reinstate Kohli to his preferred No.3 position? Clarke feels the Rahul Dravid-coached side should avoid making any changes in the Super 8 stage.
"I think if they feel that's their best 11, then keep him there. He has been playing on a pitch that has been tough for opening batters. I don't think 3 low scores make any difference to Kohli. If India feels it is their best 11 by him opening the bat. Because there was a lot of talk throughout the IPL that Virat was going to bat at No.3 in this Indian team," Clarke said on Cricinfo's Around The Wicket.
{{/usCountry}}"I think if they feel that's their best 11, then keep him there. He has been playing on a pitch that has been tough for opening batters. I don't think 3 low scores make any difference to Kohli. If India feels it is their best 11 by him opening the bat. Because there was a lot of talk throughout the IPL that Virat was going to bat at No.3 in this Indian team," Clarke said on Cricinfo's Around The Wicket.
{{/usCountry}}The 35-year-old has notched up scores of one against Ireland, four against Pakistan, and zero against the USA. However, Kohli is expected to return to scoring ways in the Caribbean leg of the T20 World Cup. With teams likely to have better wickets in the West Indies leg, Kohli can shine for India on the big stage. "But they have gone with him at the top of the order where he bats in the IPL. He had a great IPL, so you can understand their reason for doing that. I wouldn't concerned about 3 low scores. All that means to me he is one step closer to making a big one. It's the most important stage as well where the best players usually stand up," Clarke added.