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HT Poll: Samson vs Gill vs Tilak - Who should replace Virat Kohli at No.3 in Afghanistan T20I opener?
India vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I: Who should replace Virat Kohli and bat at No.3 for India in the Afghanistan T20I series opener at Mohali?
The stage is set for Rohit Sharma to make a spectacular return to the shortest format as Team India is set to take on Afghanistan in the 1st T20I of the three-match series on Thursday. After leading India to a series-levelling win over South Africa, Rohit has returned as the captain of the Indian cricket team for the Afghanistan T20Is. However, Rohit's Team India will miss the services of former skipper Virat Kohli, who is ruled out of the series opener due to personal reasons.
Speaking at the traditional press conference on the eve of the 1st T20I between India and Rashid Khan-less Afghanistan, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that Kohli is unavailable for selection in Mohali. India's all-time leading run-getter in the history of the World Cup, Kohli last played a T20I with Rohit at the T20 World Cup semi-finals 2022. India were outplayed by England in the penultimate clash of the ICC event in Australia at the time. Head coach Dravid confirmed that skipper Rohit will have youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal as his opening partner. But who will replace Kohli?
Samson vs Gill vs Tilak - Who should replace Kohli at No.3?
According to a poll conducted by Hindustan Times, premier batter Shubman Gill has emerged as the standout pick to bat at the No.3 position for the hosts in the series. Besides Shubman, India can also promote power-hitter Sanju Samson and youngster Tilak Varma at the top order for the series opener against the Asian giant killers. Indian opener Shubman is leading the race as the star batter received over 45 percent of votes. Samson and Verma followed Gill in the voting list before the start of the 1st T20I.
In another HT poll, Samson managed to upstage Jitesh Sharma as India's first-choice wicketkeeper for the 1st T20I against Afghanistan. HT Sports also asked readers about whether India should bat or bowl if Rohit wins the toss at Mohali. Interestingly, India have lost 11 tosses in a row when it comes to playing the shortest format. The chasing team has won 26 games out of 40 T20Is at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium.
