Sourav Ganguly Wants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to Open for India at T20 World Cup

Delhi Capitals (DC) Director of Cricket and former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly feels Virat Kohli has the ability to get a 40-ball century.

Ganguly explained the importance of going out to bat with intent.

“The most important thing for India is to play without fear. There is no hard and fast rule about age and playing youngsters in T20Is, James Anderson still plays Tests and bowls 30 overs in Tests, MS Dhoni still hits sixes and both are in their 40s. Six-hitting is important. Virat has got the capability to hit a 40-ball century. It is about playing fearlessly and freely in T20Is,” Ganguly said during a media event in Delhi.

“It’s my personal opinion that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should open for India in the T20 World Cup. India needs to go out and hit. Rohit, Virat, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya etc. All of them are exceptional talents and their six-hitting abilities are tremendous,” he added.

Ganguly also said that the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, which gets underway in June later this year, should be balanced in terms of youth and experience.

“There needs to be a balance of experience and youth. This is the case with great teams. You have to look at all the performances (in IPL and international both). The experienced players of India are tremendous because of the performances they have put up over the years.”

Ganguly said that IPL 2024 will indeed affect how selectors choose the squad for the T20 World Cup but hoped performances from the past three to four seasons will also be taken into consideration.

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When asked about the Impact Player rule, Ganguly said teams are looking at teams are opting for better batters or bowlers instead of an average all-rounder.

“Good all-rounders always play and contribute. Look at Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell,” he added.