|| India Correspondent ||
India registered a convincing win in the fifth T20I against England and clinch the T20I series as well. In the game, India captain Virat Kohli came to open alongside Rohit Sharma and the duo, scored the fifties. While Kohli smashed 80 in 52 balls, Rohit managed a 34 ball 64. While many were surprised with Kohli's move, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes that he should continue to open for India.
"Your best batsman should bat the most number of overs in limited-overs cricket. So it was very important for Virat Kohli to bat at the top of the order. So maybe, KL Rahul’s loss of form has been a blessing in disguise because this has given us an opening combination to look forward to. Like when Sachin Tendulkar was batting down the order in ODIs and then he was sent up to open the batting and what a transformation it had not just on his batting but the whole team. So clearly, your best batsman have to bat as many overs as they can," Sunil Gavaskar told India Today.
On the other hand, after leading India to a 3-2 series win against England in Ahmedabad, India captain Virat Kohli too expressed his desire to open the innings for the country more often including in the IPL too.
"Yes, I’m going to open in the IPL as well. Have batted in different positions in the past but 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 are in. I’d like that to continue," Virat Kohli has said at the post-match presentation as well.