Simon Doull recently discussed India’s probable batting lineup for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The cricketer-turned-commentator has Virat Kohli as one of his first choices. Doull suggests Kohli, with his impressive track record, should open India’s batting instead of playing at number three.
Kohli has a history of opening for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL across several seasons. His performances include scoring 3,930 runs as an opener with a strike rate of 135.93, alongside 8 centuries.
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This year, he has been opening for RCB and ruling the list of leading run-scorers. With 319 runs in 6 matches, he is presently the Orange Cap holder. In IPL 2024, he has scored with an average of 79.75 and a strike rate of 141.77. His highest score so far is 113 not out.
In contrast, his role in international cricket usually sees him in other batting positions, where he has opened only nine times but still managed a high strike rate of 161.29.
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Doull, however, believes Kohli playing at number 3 would make it difficult for Rinku Singh to get a chance to be included in the playing 11.
“In my India starting XI, Rinku has to play. Therefore, Virat’s got to open the batting. Now who he opens with, up to you if it is Rohit Sharma or Jaiswal. But, Kohli has to open because, in the modern game, that is his best position. He hits the quick bowlers as good as anyone and he times the ball beautifully. Coming in and starting against spin is not his best option,” he said.
No Gill or Pant
Doull believes players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant won’t make it to India’s squad for the T20 World Cup. Instead, he supports Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper and praises Shivam Dube for the middle-order role. Joy Bhattacharjya, his fellow cricket expert on Cricbuzz, reminded him that both KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan would be good choices as a wicket-keeper/batter combination.
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Doull’s lineup suggestion includes Sanju Samson potentially batting at number 3, followed by Suryakumar Yadav and then Dube and Singh. He wants Ravindra Jadeja as a lower middle-order batsman.
Here’s Doull’s suggestion for India’s batting line-up:
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and Ravindra Jadeja.
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