5th T20I: Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli pair can match Sachin Tendulkar-Virender Sehwag, says Michael Vaughan
Kohli #Kohli
India had a new opening combination for the 5th T20I against England on Saturday in Ahmedabad and it seems the cricket fraternity is loving it. Captain Virat Kohli promoted himself to the top of the order to forge a new opening pair with vice-captain Rohit Sharma after India were asked to bat by England skipper Eoin Morgan in the series finale.
What followed was T20I batting of the highest order. Rohit Sharma took the aggressor’s role and Virat Kohli was happy playing second fiddle as the star duo added 94 runs in just 9 overs. Both batsmen played some awe-inspiring shots as they took the attack to the England new-ball bowlers in the powerplay.
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Rohit Sharma was off to a flyer in Ahmedabad as he got underway with a six against leg-spinner Adil Rashid. He was in the mood to flex his muscles as the India opener targetted England’s best bowler of the series, Mark Wood with two brutal straight drives.
Rohit hit 5 sixes and 4 boundaries as he roared back to form with a 34-ball 64. During the course of the knock, Rohit also went past Martin Guptill’s tally of 2839 and finished with 2864 runs in T20I cricket to go 2nd on the list of batsmen with most T20I runs.
Virat Kohli, in fact, had the best seat in the stadium to watch the carnage at the other end as Rohit Sharma was going berserk. Rohit fell to Ben Stokes in the 9th over but the damage was done.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan likened the opening pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to India’s legendary opening combination of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, saying the two batsmen can match the former cricketers if they continue to open the innings for India in T20Is.
Can’t be a better opening combo on the eye than @imVkohli & @ImRo45!!! Could easily match @virendersehwag & @sachin_rt if they stick with this combo,” Vaughan wrote on Twitter.
Quite a few also wondered if India will open with Rohit and Kohli at this year’s T20 World Cup which will be played in India. Notably, India tried as many as 3 opening combinations in the ongoing series with KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan joining the list.
Virat Kohli continued to hurt England after Rohit Sharma’s departure as he was joined by Suryakumar Yadav, who took off from the word go.