The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, is reportedly considering to open with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in June in the USA and West Indies. According to a Dainik Jagran, the possibility of Kohli opening was seriously discussed at a recent meeting in Mumbai attended by captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

Kohli’s place in India’s T20 World Cup squad has been under the scanner. However, recent reports indicate Kohli’s spot is no longer in doubt. When Rohit, Dravid, and the selectors met after the ODI World Cup last year, Kohli’s T20 position seemed uncertain. However, his performance in the Indian Premier League 2024 has impressed the selection committee.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were out of the T20 team for 14 months and returned for th home series against Afghanistan. Kohli batted at his preferred number 3 position in the two matches he played, with Yashasvi Jaiswal opening alongside Rohit. However, Kohli’s batting order may change in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The Jagran report indicated that Kohli requested clarity from the selection committee regarding his position in the T20 World Cup. In response, the committee proposed him to open the batting. Kohli has been a regular opener for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in recent IPL seasons. Currently, he holds the Orange Cap with 361 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 147, including one century.

Kohli’s strike rate jimps from 138 to 161 when he opens the batting in the shortest format. His only T20I century, which also marks the highest individual score by an Indian in T20I’s, came when he opened against Afghanistan in Asia Cup 2022.

When Kohli opened the batting with Rohit, India put up a strong total of 224 against England. The pair added 94 runs in just 9 overs for the opening partnership, with Kohli top-scoring with 80 off 52 balls and Rohit blasting a quickfire 64 off 34 deliveries.

Though Yashasvi Jaiswal was initially the frontrunner for the backup opener spot, Shubman Gill has emerged as the preferred choice after his strong start in the current IPL season. While Jaiswal has struggled to find form, Gill’s consistency with the bat has impressed selectors.

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