Should Virat Kohli bat in the No. 3 spot in T20Is, or can he open the innings alongside skipper Rohit Sharma? In the run-up to the third T20I match against Afghanistan, former South African captain AB de Villiers expressed his opinions on the hot topic. For the first time since 2022, former India captain Virat Kohli batted at No. 3 on Sunday in a T20I.
Even though Virat Kohli has a successful track record as an opener in T20 cricket, former South African captain AB de Villiers feels he would still prefer not to see him open the batting for India.
After a 14-month hiatus, Virat Kohli rejoined the Indian T20 squad. In the second T20I of the current three-match home series against Afghanistan, he finally made his long-awaited comeback. The veteran batsman had an attacking game and seemed in excellent form, scoring 29 runs on 16 balls at a scorching strike rate of 181.25.
I’ve always felt like Virat Kohli was the glue of the team in the middle-order – AB de Villiers
Ab de Villiers felt that because Kohli can team with middle-order batters and play the role of an anchor, he is better suited to bat at number three. In his most recent YouTube video, de Villiers stated the following:
“I have a different opinion. For the most part of my international career, Virat batting at No. 3 was the biggest threat for us when we played against India. I’ve always felt like he was the glue of the team in the middle-order,” said AB de Villiers.
“No. 3 is not quite middle-order, it is top-order. But he is so good that he often combined with the middle-order, even down to tailenders. It’s just impossible to play against that,” he added.
I just think that the chances of getting a good delivery up front are so much better – Ab de Villiers
Additionally, AB de Villiers said that if Kohli opens the batting, there’s a strong possibility he’ll receive an unplayable delivery early on, which will cost him a wicket. He continued, saying:
“With a new ball, facing the first few deliveries there, I just think that the chances of getting a good delivery up front are so much better. I’m worried about that position. Even though the numbers don’t look bad, I have some other stats for you,” AB de Villiers reflected.
“When Virat faces the very first ball as an opener, his average is 23 and strike rate is 138. When he doesn’t face the first ball and is at the non-striker’s end, he averages 140 with a strike rate of 173,” he stated.
The cricketer-turned-expert mentioned Kohli’s stellar track record at No. 3 in T20Is:
“What I do like is that No. 3 position. 79 games played there, average of 55 and strike rate of 135. Very solid, match-winner, keeps everyone together, and he allows some of the power hitters to have freedom at the back end of the innings,” he added.
I always tried to convince him not to open the batting- AB de Villiers on Virat opening for RCB
During AB de Villiers’ time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Virat Kohli and the former shared a dressing room for a number of years.
De Villiers revealed that he had also attempted to persuade Kohi to forfeit his opening position for the Royal Challengers of Bengal. However, he said that the star batter should be allowed to play any specific role if he was eager to do so.
“Even for Bangalore, when we played at RCB for so many years together, I always tried to convince him (Virat Kohli) not to open the batting. He loves that; I think that’s his preference. He’s played cricket for long enough and maybe he should have the final say. If he wants to open the batting, if I was the coach, I would say, ‘Okay, you know what you’re doing. Go open the batting; you’re the best player, go win us the World Cup,” de Villiers elaborated.
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