The IPL 2021 happened, and things changed as out-of-form players got their magic back and now the Team India skipper has made this big revelation.
When Virat Kohli had said that he would be opening for India along with Rohit Sharma in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 and had even done the same in the England series back home, all thought it was the perfect combination.
However, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 happened, and things changed as out-of-form players got their magic back and now the Team India skipper has made this big revelation.
Ahead of the warm-up game against England in Dubai, Kohli at the toss said he would be batting at No 3 and the reason for the change was batter KL Rahul's splendid form.
The India captain had made it clear that it is difficult to look beyond KL Rahul at the top of the order and will be India's first choice to open with the 'Hitman'.
However, the Indian skipper kept it open-ended when asked about the team's top-six batters who will play in the opening match of the tournament against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24.
"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. That’s the only news I can give to start off," Kohli said.
KL Rahul had emerged as the third-highest run-scorer in the IPL for Punjab Kings (PBKS) with 628 runs to his name. Not just that, he had even slammed the most number of sixes (30) in the tournament.
"We are pretty sorted in terms of how we are going to start in the first game (versus Pakistan)."
Talking about the warm-up matches, Kohli said, "Outside of that we just want to give the opportunity to guys in these games as much as possible. We will look to give game-time to most of them. The idea is to create some energy and momentum as a team. We have played in different teams recently (in the IPL)”.
Kohli also spoke about IPL, but added that Indian cricket is paramount. "We have had success in the past. So we want to create that same energy, fielding is the best place to start I reckon when eleven guys are together. The IPL is right up there in terms of level and competitiveness, but this is paramount. Indian cricket is a priority for everyone. That has to be the case.
"Adaptability is what matters. People play different roles in their IPL teams. It’s about adapting quickly to this team now, who plays where is what matters."
(With PTI Inputs)
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