Former India captain Virat Kohli is all set to return to international cricket after a long break. The 33-year-old batter did not feature in the Men in Blues recent white ball series against the West Indies as well as Zimbabwe. However, he has rejoined the Indian cricket team and is expected to play in the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2022, which kicks off on 27th August.
Kohli has struggled to get going over the last two years with his last international century coming in 2019. Despite scoring fifties across formats, Kohli’s has failed to make a mark since the 2020 with his struggles with the bat taking a turn for the worse.
Many expect the 33- year-old to play at the top after he was seen opening the batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. He also has a solid record in the 8 games as an opener for India registering 278 runs at a strike rate of 148.
However we expect the former Indian skipper to slot down at his preferred number 3 position at Asia Cup 2022. In the 91 matches Virat Kohli has played batting at number three, he has recorded over 3,300 runs while averaging above 50 and maintaining a strike rate in the over 135.
Rohit Sharma is set to be one opener for the Men in Blue with KL Rahul likely to slot in and complete the pair. Kohli will be a good option at the no.3 spot with the right-handed batsman set to have enough time to have his eye in the game.
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It is also important to note the new approach taken by Rahul Dravid’s men in T20Is. Rohit Sharma and co have opted to play an aggressive brand of cricket with the system essentially requiring a batter to just maintain or take the batting level up a notch.
Batting for India at the one-down position will help the former India captain not feel any pressure to score many runs nor is Virat Kohli expected to bat through the innings and complete the match. Citing all the reasons, we expect the former skipper to walk on the field and bat at the fall of India’s first wicket.
Many eyes will be on Virat Kohli as India’s journey in the 6 nation tournament kicks off on August 28 with the Men in Blue squaring off against arch rivals Pakistan. The 2nd game of the Asia Cup is set tot take place at the Dubai international stadium on Sunday.
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Smit is a sports writer at Gutshot Magazine. After completing his Bachelor’s in Mass Media, and a Master’s degree in Sports Management, this sports fanatic uses articles as a tool to express his opinions. Bring up cricket or football and you will find this usually quiet guy speak for hours! He also co-heads the official supporters club of Chelsea FC in Mumbai, wherein he hosts screenings, football meets and other such events.
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