Ian Bishop posed an intriguing question regarding the opening partnership of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to which former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri responded. It came after Kohli displayed classic form against the Mumbai Indians, smashing an unbeaten 82 runs off 49 balls to lead his team to its first victory of the season.
Incidentally, the 34-year-old batsman opened the innings with RCB captain Faf du Plessis and scored 148 runs with him. Against RCB, not only did Rohit end up on the losing side, but the Nagpur-born batsman barely contributed with the bat, scoring only one run off ten deliveries.
Despite this, the captain of the Mumbai Indians has been essential to leading the national team’s batting lineup.
Bishop Shastri asked Ravi Shastri during an IPL broadcast for JioCinema if the RCB batsman should be paired with Rohit as an opener for the national squad. In response, Shastri could not completely deny the notion, as the two may add a significant number of runs, but he did express the management’s perspective on the combination.
“Is the starting position right for him? During the JioCinema game, Ian Bishop asked Shastri, “Is there a lot of controversy about this?” Shastri replied, “Yes, there is.”
“There is always an option. However, India will likely consider the fact that, in addition to Rohit Sharma, another left-handed batsman will likely be selected. If Rohit and Virat open, the lineup may become too top-heavy. Yet, each time they’ve opened, the partnership has been enormous, according to the former India coach.
The pair has never opened together in a one-day match, but they have achieved success in the shortest format. Rohit (64 runs) and Kohli (80 not out) created a 94-run opening partnership in the fifth Twenty20 International against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in 2021.
On Saturday, April 8, the Mumbai Indians will attempt to win two points against the Chennai Super Kings, a team that has a history of bouncing back from early defeats. RCB have made a scorching start to the season and will be eager to continue their great form against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday, April 6 at Eden Gardens.
India
