‘Virat Kohli Earned Right To Bat Wherever He Wants’: Tim Paine On Debate Over India’s Batting Line-up At T20 World Cup 2024
New Delhi: Since BCCI have announced their squad for the T20 World Cup there is a debate heating up for India’s batting order at the marquee event which will be hosted by West Indies and USA later this year scheduled to start from June 02. Some cricket experts suggested that Virat Kohli should open the batting with Rohit Sharma on the other hand some are suggesting that the former India captain will continue to play at number 3.
However former Australia skipper Tim Paine reckoned that the decision would be on the former India captain considering his form and experience he has earned that right.
“I certainly would [have Kohli open]. I think Virat Kohli has earned the right to bat wherever he wants, particularly when he’s in this kind of form. Virat is an experienced player and I’m sure they will be having conversations but whether he bats one, two or three will worry him too much. Having said that if I was the selection or coach in that team, I would want my best player, the best player in red-hot form, I would want him facing as many balls as possible so I’ll try and slot him back at the top,” Paine said on the ‘Around the Wicket’ podcast.
Team India will start their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland which will be played on June 05 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on June 09.
Before the World Cup Rohit Sharma & Co. will play the warm up match against Bangladesh at a yet to be decided location in the USA on June 1.
The warm-up match fixtures for the Men’s T20 World Cup, as released by ICC, are scheduled to be held from May 27 to June 1 across the USA and Trinidad and Tobago. The venues hosting the 16 warm-up matches are Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Texas, Broward County Stadium in Florida, Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
ICC informed a total of 17 teams will play the warm-up games, including South Africa, who are playing an intra-squad on June 29 in Florida. The warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not have international T20 status, allowing teams to field all members of their 15-player squad.