T20 World Cup: Kohli confirms, ‘KL Rahul to open, I will bat No.3’ – India captain Virat Kohli on Monday ahead of their warm-up match against England confirmed that KL Rahul will bat ahead of him as the opener. He also declared that he will bat at his natural position, i.e., No.3. Follow T20 World Cup live updates on insidesport.in
“Things were different before IPL, now it’s difficult to look beyond KL Rahul at the top of the order. Rohit is a no-brainer. World-class player, he’s been solid upfront. I will be batting at 3,” Kohli said at the toss– India vs England.
Notably, Kohli had earlier opened alongside Rohit Sharma in India’s fifth and final T20I during the England tour of India. He had said that he might continue to play for India at the opening slot.
“[If] It augurs well for the team and I would like this to continue, and hopefully continue that form through to the World Cup,” he had stated.
T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli confirms, KL Rahul to open with Rohit Sharma, declares, ‘I will bat at No 3’
- KL Rahul was in red-hot form for Punjab Kings in IPL 2021.
- He smashed 626 runs in just 14 matches.
- The 29-year-old averaged 62+ in the T20 tournament which featured 6 fifties. His strike rate stood at 138+.
- In the UAE leg of IPL 2021, KL Rahul slammed 295 runs in just six matches that comprised scintillating knocks of 98*, 67 and 49.
- He is expected to deliver for India from game 1 where arch-rivals India will play Pakistan on October 24, Sunday.
KL Rahul in UAE
| MATCH | BAT | WK | DATE | GROUND | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs Super Kings | 98* | 2c/0s | 07-Oct-2021 | Dubai (DSC) | |
| vs RCB | 39 | 1c/0s | 03-Oct-2021 | Sharjah | |
| vs KKR | 67 | 0c/0s | 01-Oct-2021 | Dubai (DSC) | |
| vs Mumbai | 21 | 1c/0s | 28-Sep-2021 | Abu Dhabi | |
| vs Sunrisers | 21 | 1c/0s | 25-Sep-2021 | Sharjah | |
| vs Royals | 49 | 1c/0s | 21-Sep-2021 | Dubai (DSC) |
KL Rahul will now bat at his natural position. He has scored 1000+ runs as an opener.
| Position | Inns | NO | 100s | 50s | 0s | HS | Runs | Avg | S/R | Ca | St |
| Opening | 31 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 91 | 1118 | 38.55 | 139.75 | 12 | 1 |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 101* | 265 | 33.13 | 135.20 | 4 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 110* | 174 | 87.00 | 175.76 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall | 45 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 110* | 1557 | 39.92 | 142.19 | 17 | 1 |
T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli declares, ‘I’ll bat No.3’
- Kohli plays the role of an opener for RCB. He also smacked 400+ runs in the tournament.
- His presence at No.3 will boost India’s middle-order and prevent any unwanted wobble.
- The 32-year-old managed 200+ runs in the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
- He is the highest run-getter in T20Is with over 3000+ runs in the shortest format.
- His performances will be key for India in the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli’s performance according to batting positions:
- Virat Kohli has amassed the most runs for India while batting at No.3.
- He has scored 2300+ runs in 57 inns at a phenomenal average of 58 and strike rate of 136. It also comprises 23 half-centuries.
| Position | Inns | NO | 100s | 50s | 0s | HS | Runs | Avg | S/R | Ca | St |
| Opening | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 80* | 278 | 39.71 | 148.66 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | 57 | 17 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 94* | 2329 | 58.23 | 136.84 | 29 | 0 |
| 4 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 77* | 500 | 45.45 | 145.77 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26* | 26 | 123.81 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 26 | 13.00 | 136.84 | 2 | 0 |
| Overall | 84 | 24 | 0 | 28 | 3 | 94* | 3159 | 52.65 | 139.04 | 42 | 0 |
T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli confirms, KL Rahul to open with Rohit Sharma, declares, ‘I will bat at No 3’
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