Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli should open together to provide India a left-right combination at the top, according to Matthew Hayden, who also suggested that skipper Rohit Sharma bat at the No. 4 position.
Virat Kohli must open or he does not play
Legendary Australian Matthew Hayden has put forth a daring suggestion in a time of confusion around Team India’s potential starting lineup for the 2024 T20 World Cup. According to Hayden, Virat Kohli needs to open for India or else he shouldn’t be selected for the team. In addition, he stated that Rohit Sharma, the captain, can bat at the No. 4 position and that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kohli can open together to provide India a left-right combination at the top.
As the starting opener for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2024 Indian Premier League, Kohli recently earned the Orange Cap. According to multiple analysts, the best spot for the star player in the Indian side is at the top. As the first player in T20Is, Kohli has amassed 400 runs at a strike rate of 161.29 and an average of 57.14 in nine innings.
“A left-right combination is required. Five right-handers in a row are not allowed. Zampa would simply say hello to Australia. In my team, Kohli must start at the top or he won’t play. He is in peak physical condition. Being a flexible player, Rohit doesn’t hesitate to bat in the middle order. Hayden told ESPNCricinfo, “He can lead the batting group from the early middle order and he has a successful record in T20I cricket batting at No. 4.”
In just eight T20I matches, Rohit has batted at No. 4, scoring 188 runs at a strike rate of 122.87 and an average of 31.33.
But in the Indian Premier League, he has batted at number four more frequently, collecting 2392 runs in 86 innings. At the No. 4 spot, Rohit has struck 19 fifties with an average of 32.76 and a strike rate of 128.67.
India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign gets underway on June 5 in New York, when they take on Ireland in Group A.