AB de Villiers urged India to send Virat Kohli at No.3 in the Super 8 of the T20 World Cup 2024. The 35-year-old Kohli won the Orange Cap as an opener in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, but in the multi-nation event in the Caribbean and the United States, Kohli has found the going tough. In 3 matches, Kohli has scored only 5 runs from 9 balls at an average of 1.66 and a strike-rate of 55.55.
Kohli will be looking to make amends when India lock horns with Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan on Thursday, June 20 at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. De Villiers, who played alongside Kohli for the RCB in the IPL from 2011 to 2021, said that Virat is amongst the world’s best when it comes to soaking in pressure in the middle overs.
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“I have always said please bat Virat at number three. Especially in better wickets that they will play now, Virat is the go-to guy at number three. He can play the attacking game and also pull back and absorb the pressure if necessary. He is the best player in the world in the middle overs. I do not see any reasons (for opening),” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
Throw the first punch
De Villiers also reckoned that India need to be a little more attacking to break their jinx of not winning an ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph.
“Just make sure you throw the first punch. In the past World Cups, I think they have been a bit conservative, sort of feeling their way into a game. They are such a quality team that I feel they can take a bit of a risk early in the game to get the momentum because there is no looking back once they get the momentum,” De Villiers added.
In the ongoing T20 World Cup, India are currently unbeaten, having won 3 out of 4 matches against Ireland, Pakistan and the United States.
Source Agencies
