Gavaskar on India’s Number 3 in T20Is: “Experienced player should have come in”

Gavaskar on India’s Number 3 in T20Is: Legendary Indian cricketer wants Virat Kohli to bat at No. 3 in T20Is.

Sunil Gavaskar, former Indian captain and the first batsmen ever to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, has criticized the Indian team for their batting line-up during the first T20I of the ongoing tour of Australia at Brisbane.

It was the same batting order which India had played with during the tour of England earlier this year. India had won the series 2-1 with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma as opening batsmen followed by Lokesh Rahul and Virat Kohli.

Apparently, it was the series against India since the team management have started to send Rahul ahead of Kohli, a decision which has not taken in a welcoming manner by the Indian fans for it gives Kohli a lesser chance of settling in.

Ahead of the match, there was apprehension regarding the same. With India chasing 174 runs in 17 overs, experts were backing Kohli at No. 3. However, it didn’t happen as the team management persisted with Rahul. By the time Kohli came, things had become real hard for him and India.

Notwithstanding that Kohli is arguably the best batsman in the world, coming in with overs single digits and belting the ball from the word go doesn’t suit his modus operandi. It was something which was evident from his innings today.

On being asked about India’s No. 3 for the second T20I on November 26 at Melbourne, Gavaskar was of the opinion that the Indian captain should bat at No. 3 for it is his ‘preferred’ position in other formats as well.

“You’ve got to bat at the number you’ve batted and this was the first match of the series. Experienced player [Kohli] should have come it at No.3 because Rahul is not in the best of form,” Gavaskar was quoted while speaking during the post-match show.

During the pre-match show, Gavaskar had laid emphasis on playing Yuzvendra Chahal because of the tinge of grass on the surface. With that not happening and Krunal Pandya going for 55 runs in his four overs, one might see Chahal playing in the second match.

Read some of the latest Twitter reactions on the first T20I below: