'Aren't you happy...?': Virat Kohli's batting order for Bangladesh match sparks telling response from Rathour
Virat Kohli managed just 29 runs across four innings for India so far in the 2024 edition, which includes a golden duck as well.
Should Virat Kohli continue to open for India? That has been the question troubling experts and critics after the former India captain's worst ever start to a T20 World Cup campaign. With 1170 runs in 31 appearances across six editions in the ICC tournament, Kohli is the leading run-getter in the history of T20 World Cups. However, he managed just 29 runs across four innings for India so far in the 2024 edition, which includes a golden duck as well.
Kohli was expected to emulate his IPL 2024 show in the T20 World Cup, where he smashed 741 runs in 15 innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win the Orange Cap. With the runs being scored as an opener, Kohli was given the exact role for the Indian team as well. But the 35-year-old has struggled to find his rhythm so far.
It was question asked before the start of India's Super Eight campaign earlier this week, and it was posed on Friday as well when India batting coach Vikram Rathour addressed the media in Antigua ahead of the match against Bangladesh at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound. And Rathour made a telling response. Here is how the conversation went…
Reporter: Can we take a chance and change the batting order of Virat Kohli back to No. 3?
Rathour: (smiles) Are you not happy that he is opening? Everybody wanted him to open I thought.
Reporter: But he did not perform in the last few games
Rathour: We are not thinking on those lines. We are happy with the batting order we have. And if any changes happen it will be based on the opposition and the conditions.
Rathour also spoke about Kohli's lean run saying that while he has been "challenged," it has allowed the rest of the batting line-up to step-up and score for India.
“I’m not happy. I would love it if he gets going and scores more runs,” Rathour said. “But yeah, it is good when you are challenged at times. You know, the guys who are not getting too much of batting in India sometimes, they are the ones who put up scores today and our middle-order came to play. So, it was good to see.”
