AB de Villiers Pushes For Virat Kohli At No. 3 in T20 World Cup: ‘No One Else Can Hold the Middle Overs Like Him’

May 23, 2024 0 820

AB de Villiers advocated for Virat Kohli to bat at number 3 in the T20 World Cup, praising his middle-overs batting skills.

With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, Virat Kohli’s batting position for Team India is a topic of debate. While Kohli has been in top form as an opener for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, his close friend and former teammate, AB de Villiers, believes his ideal position should be number 3.

“Virat has been phenomenal opening the batting, but I still believe he’s a number three batter. I’ve told him this myself, and I’ve been saying it for years,” de Villiers, now a cricket expert for JioCinema, told News18 Cricket.

De Villiers acknowledged Kohli’s enjoyment of the opening role and his success in that position. “He’s sticking to his guns and understanding his game,” added de Villiers. However, he emphasised his personal preference for Kohli at number 3.

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“If I had the say, he would bat number three on my team. He’s the best in the world when he’s playing normal cricket, between overs six and 20. That’s where he excels at reading the game and hitting the ball into spaces,” added the Proteas.

Lastly, de Villiers expressed concern about Kohli taking unnecessary risks in the early overs as an opener. “If he gets out early, the middle order faces immense pressure because no one else can hold the innings together like him,” concluded de Villiers.