You might just see Virat Kohli open in the Asia Cup: Parthiv Patel

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel reckons it is possible that Virat Kohli could open in the Asia Cup 2022 as KL Rahul’s availability is uncertain. Patel also said given that India have already tested several opening combinations in recent times, it is likely that the former India captain could play at the top.

The former wicketkeeper-batter also stressed that all the big seasons that Kohli has had in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have come playing as an opener for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Speaking about Kohli’s place in the team, the 37-year-old said that there is no doubt about the batter’s abilities. Patel added that it is just about the form and his batting position.

“There is no doubt about Virat Kohli’s abilities. It is just about the form, it is just about which position you want him to play,” said Patel on Cricbuzz’s show ‘Talking Points’. “That is why Asia Cup becomes very crucial. Not for him, just for India’s point of view also whether they get the right combination or not.”

Sounds very weird that Virat Kohli is auditioning: Harsha Bhogle

“I keep saying about the combination because that would be the key. You might just see Virat Kohli open in the Asia Cup because KL Rahul is not fit, as of now. And India has tried a lot of other openers. They have tried Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav in this series,” opined the former India wicketkeeper. 

Broadcaster and active commentator Harsha Bhogle believes that the Asia Cup could be an audition for Virat Kohli. He feels that it is not about whether Kohli would be among runs but about how comfortable he is and how he is hitting the ball. “It sounds very weird that Virat Kohli is auditioning [in the Asia Cup]. But it might well be that,” said Bhogle. 

At the moment, Kohli is going through a lean patch with the bat across formats. His average in 2022 has been just around 25, which is the lowest in his career for a calendar year. “I think with Virat Kohli, you are not looking at how many runs he has scored. Whether he is comfortable, whether he is hitting the ball well because then the runs will come,” Bhogle added.