Legendary West Indies cricketer Brian Lara believes India should persist with the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli despite their underwhelming performances at the top of the order in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. So far, the Indian team has struggled to establish a strong opening partnership, with star batter Virat Kohli failing to make an impact. Kohli’s scores have been 1 (5), 4 (3), and 0 (1) in the three matches played thus far.
Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, had a promising start to the tournament, scoring a half-century against Ireland (52 off 37 balls). However, his subsequent performances dipped, with scores of 13 and 3 in the following matches. Despite these setbacks, Lara advocates for maintaining the current opening combination, arguing that altering it could disrupt the team’s overall playing strategy.
“India had the option to go for a left-right opening partnership, but they chose two great players who have consistently performed for India and their respective franchises—Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. I think they should stick with this pairing. If you start making changes, Virat Kohli might have to bat lower in the order, which could unsettle the team,” Brian Lara explained on Star Sports.
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Brian Lara further expressed his confidence in the duo, backing them to deliver strong performances in the upcoming matches. He emphasized the importance of consistency and warned against making hasty changes, especially when the team is winning.
“The combination India has right now needs to be backed. Eventually, they will perform well. The batting conditions in the USA haven’t been ideal, but making changes isn’t the solution if you’re already winning,” he added.
India recently secured their place in the Super 8 stages with a commanding seven-wicket victory over the USA in New York. The Men in Blue limited the co-hosts to 110/8 in their 20 overs and successfully chased down the target in 18.2 overs, thanks to an unbeaten half-century (50* off 49 balls) from Suryakumar Yadav.
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Looking ahead, the Rohit Sharma-led team is set to face Canada on Saturday, June 15, at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida. This match will be another opportunity for the star opening duo to find their form and lead India to further success in the tournament.
