“If you have to follow that template, start it now” – Aakash Chopra wants Virat Kohli to start opening from 2nd IND vs AFG T20I

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has backed Virat Kohli to open the innings in the second T20I against Afghanistan at Indore. The renowned commentator feels if the team management wants to follow the template of opening the innings with Virat Kohli, they should start it now.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli missed the opening T20I against Afghanistan due to personal reasons and he will come back to the playing XI in the second game. Kohli will play a T20I after a long gap of 14 months as he last played in the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal.

Kohli has scored 4008 runs in 115 T20I matches at an average of 52.74. Furthermore, he was in exemplary form in the ODI World Cup 2023, finsihing the tournament as the highest run-getter with 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.32.

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “If you see the entire World Cup, Virat Kohli has a playing style and he scores a lot of runs when he follows that template. Even in T20s, he rarely starts hitting fours and sixes from the first ball. He takes his time. If he has to run at a strike rate of 150, he does that in the powerplay.”

The former India opener added: “In New York or the West Indies, the pitches will be such that there will be more chances of runs getting scored in the first six overs. So ideally you want Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to be together from the start. If you have to follow that template, start it now.”

Meanwhile, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid had revealed that Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings with Indian skipper Rohit Sharma but the former missed the opening game against Afghanistan due to sore groin.

“You are talking about keeping Yashasvi Jaiswal or Shubman Gill. You wanted to play Gill at No. 3. He opened in the last match because Yashasvi wasn’t there, but that’s neither your long-term plan nor you have thought anything about it. You already said that Yashasvi is your first opener alongside Rohit and not Gill.”

“So if Yashasvi is available, you will get him to open. However, if you get Yashasvi to open, my problem is not only about Kohli at No. 3. I don’t want to keep Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4. I want him at No. 3. Suryakumar Yadav is India’s No. 1 T20 batter. So I want him at No. 3 and I want to give him time to drive the game.”

The second T20I between India and Afghanistan will be played at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Sunday.