India is set to engage in the final T20 series against Afghanistan ahead of the T20 World Cup scheduled for June this year. The Indian squad welcomes back some seasoned players for this crucial series, notably Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, with Rohit assuming the captaincy. Both players haven’t participated in any T20 matches since November 2022, but their return is anticipated to make a significant impact against Afghanistan, sparking discussions before the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Fans are expressing the need to address unfinished business from the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups. There has been ongoing speculation about Virat Kohli opening alongside Rohit Sharma, a topic that gained traction before the previous World Cups. In 2021, when Virat captained the team, he even made specific preparations for this by opening in the IPL and featuring as an opener alongside Rohit in a T20 series against England. Despite this, KL Rahul partnered with Rohit as the opener in both World Cups. The discussion has resurfaced about the prospect of Virat and Rohit forming the opening partnership once again.
Virat Kohli’s track record as an opener in T20 Internationals is commendable. Opening for India, he has amassed 400 runs in nine innings at an impressive average of 57.14 and a strike rate of 161.29. During this period, he has notched up three scores exceeding 50, including an unbeaten 122 runs in the Asia Cup T20 before the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Virat has previously opened with five different batsmen for India in T20s, including Rahul and Rohit. His opening partnership with Rahul has yielded 209 runs in five innings, featuring a century stand. Virat has opened only once with Rohit, contributing 94 runs for the first wicket in a T20 against England.
In addition to Rahul and Rohit, Virat has partnered as an opener with Shikhar Dhawan (2017), Gautam Gambhir (2012), and Murali Vijay (2011), achieving varying levels of success. Considering Virat’s prolific record as an IPL opener, where he has accumulated 3611 runs in 98 innings at an average of 43.51 and a strike rate of 135.45, the Indian team management may contemplate deploying this experienced opening pair against Afghanistan.
While Shubman Gill’s recent T20 performances have been subpar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal lacks experience, the arrival of the seasoned duo at the top order may put pressure on the opposition. However, it comes with the drawback of a less experienced middle order. With both Virat and Rohit potentially participating in their last limited-overs World Cup, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them shoulder the responsibility of providing a strong start in the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan.
