No place for Hardik, Gill in T20 World Cup squad: Simon Doull

Former New Zealand cricketer has made one of the most weird and out of box suggestion for the Team India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad selection.

Former Kiwi pacer, Simon Doull wants Virat Kohli to open for India in World Cup and leaves out Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill from the squad.

Kohli has batted at No. 3 in 80 out of the 109 T20I innings he played for India, scoring 3076 runs at 53.96. That has long been his preferable position in white-ball cricket, whether in T20Is or ODIs.

Doull, in conversation on Cricbuzz, reckoned that Kohli, who also previously opened in IPL 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2023, should open for India.

“I think Virat should open…100 per cent. I don’t think he should bat at number three, because if he does, then Rinku Singh will miss out. And in my India starting XI, Rinku has to play. Therefore, Virat’s got to open the batting. Now who he opens with, up to you. If it is Rohit Sharma or Jaiswal. But Kohli has to open, because in the modern game that is his best position. He hits the quick bowlers as good as anyone and he times the ball beautifully. Coming in and starting against spin is not his best option,” Doull said.

In international cricket, Kohli has opened only nine times, scoring 400 runs at a strike rate of 161.29.

Doull further revealed his ideal playing XI for India with Kohli as an opener.

“It sounds stupid to me but if Jaiswal is out. But if that’s the case, you could have Sanju at 3, Suryakumar at 4, Dube and Rinku at 5 and 6, Jadeja at 7,” he added.