India’s captain Virat Kohli addressed the media on the eve of the first ODI against Australia. Kohli spoke on variety of issues and answered all the questions that were asked by media persons present there.
One of the important questions was “Who will replace Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order?” Dhawan requested BCCI to give him a break because he wants to spend time with his wife who will undergo a surgery soon. His requested was accepted by the BCCI and he was released from the squad for the first three ODIs.
Now, after he was released, the biggest questions among fans and media was who will open the innings with Rohit Sharma- Ajinkya Rahane or KL Rahul? Both, Rahul and Rahane are capable of opening the innings.
But, Indian captain Virat Kohli made it clear that Ajinkya Rahane will open the innings with Rohit Sharma in the first three ODIs. He said that Rahane has found it difficult to switch roles and it’s just fair on management’s part to give him enough opportunities to prove his worth.
“If you look to bat in a position you bat in one format, in all formats, it gets difficult for the team to find the right kind of balance. Players need to adapt to what the team needs more often. I open in T20Is, I would do that any day if there is a guy in the middle order whose strengthen it. It is up to the player to get versatile, but it takes time”.
Kohli clearly said that the team management is backing Ajinkya Rahane at the top of the order.
“We are backing Ajinkya Rahane at the top of the order. He had found it difficult to switch, but once you identify a role and once you get the balance by giving the player more chances, he gets more confident,” Virat Kohli added.
