AB de Villiers backs Virat Kohli to play T20Is at No. 3. “For the majority of my international career, Virat batting at No. 3 was the biggest threat to us when we faced India. De Villiers remarked, “I’ve always felt like he was the team’s glue.”
Before the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, it was unknown whether Virat Kohli would return to the shortest version of the game. The 35-year-old, however, received support from the national selection committee. He scored 29 runs off 16 deliveries in the second T20I, but failed to open his account in the series’ final game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Despite this, the former South African cricketer believes the team management will back Virat ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Also Visit: ‘May use my reverse sweep as a forward defense’ – Ben Duckett on countering the spin threat in India
The 39-year-old suggested that Virat could play at number three for India in T20Is.
De Villiers believes the former captain is the team’s glue and the ideal bridge between the top and middle orders. He went on to say that Virat has been the biggest threat while batting at number three and that he expects him to stay there.
“I have a different opinion. For the majority of my international career, Virat batting at No. 3 posed the greatest threat to us when we faced India. I’ve always thought of him as the team’s middleman. No. 3 is not middle-order; rather, it is top-order. However, he is so good that he frequently combines with the middle order, including tailenders. It’s simply difficult to compete against that,” De Villiers stated on his YouTube page.
In Virat’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav batted at number three and performed admirably to become the world’s number-one T20I batter. However, if Virat remains at number three, Yadav would be pushed down the order, taking fourth position. Meanwhile, Virat will have to play against the new ball, something the former cricketer finds troubling.
“With a new ball, confronting the first few deliveries, I believe the odds of getting a nice delivery up front are significantly higher. “I am concerned about that position,” De Villiers remarked.
Also Read: Why was Rohit Sharma permitted to bat in the second super over after retiring hurt?
