T20 World Cup 2024: Remember The Last Time Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma Opened In A T20I For India?

In a surprising move for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, Virat Kohli is set to open the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma in India¡¯s campaign opener against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. This decision means that left-handed opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has been left out of the playing XI, while Shivam Dube has found a place in the middle-order.

Virat Kohli's last T20I opening: when was it?

The last time Virat Kohli opened the batting in a T20I was during the Asia Cup 2022 in the United Arab Emirates. On September 8, Kohli faced Afghanistan at the Dubai International Stadium. He delivered a stellar performance, scoring an unbeaten 122 off just 61 balls, including 12 boundaries and 6 sixes. This innings marked his first T20 International century and ended an almost three-year century drought across all formats. Kohli's knock was a blend of aggressive yet controlled batting, highlighting his ability to dominate the bowlers with precision.

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India posted a formidable total of 212 for 2, largely due to Kohli's explosive innings. Afghanistan, in response, struggled to keep up with the high required run rate and were restricted to 111 for 8, leading to a comprehensive 101-run victory for India. Kohli's performance was celebrated by fans and critics, signaling a return to form for the modern-era batting great and reaffirming his crucial role in the Indian cricket team.

Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma's last opening partnership

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last opened the batting together for India on March 20, 2021. It was in the decider of the five-match series against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The match happened behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virat captained India in that game and he led from the front by scoring an unbeaten 80 off 52. Meanwhile, Rohit smashed 64 off just 34 deliveries. Rohit showed enormous intent, hitting four fours and five sixes while maintaining a strike rate of 188.23. Kohli focused more on strike rotation and ended with seven fours and two maximums in 52 deliveries. Rohit and Virat added 94 runs for the first wicket in just nine overs against England that night. The English bowling attack featuring Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Jordan, Sam Curran, and Ben Stokes had no answer to Rohit and Virat's batting. Stokes eventually broke the partnership by rattling Rohit's stumps.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: How Did India Perform Against Ireland In Their Last T20I Encounter?

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The damage had already been done, and the momentum was in India's favor. Suryakumar Yadav then chipped in with a 17-ball 32, while Hardik Pandya smacked an unbeaten 39 off 17 as India finished with 224/2 in 20 overs. Three out of the four English bowlers who completed their quota of four overs had an economy rate of more than 10 per over. India won that match by 36 runs and secured the series by 3-2.

The former India skipper Virat Kohli had a good outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season while opening the batting for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He scored 741 runs at an impressive strike rate of 154.69 while smashing one hundred and five fifties.

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