Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be key to India’s success in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States, feels Brian Lara. But the West Indies legend does not want the two to open the innings in the T20 showpiece.
“Both Rohit and Virat are great players with a lot of experience. They will serve India very well if they are going to the World Cup. But I think when you are picking your team and your batting order, you’ve got to pick based on what you want the players to do... Doesn’t matter who fills that spot.
“If you want to get 70-80 in the first six overs, you’ve got to pick players to do so, regardless of the names of the players,” Lara said at a news conference, which is a part of ‘Star Sports Press Room’.
“Rohit and Virat are great players. But you should have some youthful punch in the opening spot. It’s about one of the younger players proving their mettle and having those experienced players, at least one of them, down the order to shepherd the innings and keep the innings together till the end.
“There could be a negative effect on the team if they (Rohit and Kohli) open and go early. So, I will use one at the top, but use the other at No. 3,” Lara explained.
Kohli should bat at No.3 after Rohit and Shubman Gill, while his role in the batting line-up should be that of an anchor during the World Cup this June, the former Windies captain stated.
“My top three in the Indian batting order will be Rohit, Gill and Virat. Every T20 team needs a guy to anchor the innings together. He should not necessarily be a match-winner,
but his job is to hold an end, minimise the number of balls faced and give the strike to
big hitters.
“Players like Aiden Markram and Virat Kohli are the sort of players needed in a team around some big hitters if it is to win the Cup.”
Lately, a lot of talk has been going around on Kohli’s strike rate in the ongoing IPL, although he is the highest run-getter (316) so far, averaging 105.33. For Lara, the strike rate depends very much on the position one’s batting at.
“If you are opening, a strike rate of 130-140 is quite sufficient. But if you are coming in the middle or lower order, then you’ve got to hit at 150 or above. The way this IPL is going and the amount of runs being scored, I think your strike rate at that latter part of the innings has to be above 200 to give your side any chance of winning,” Lara said.
“But as an opener, you can strike above 200 and eventually finish at a strike rate of about 160-170. That said, you can’t depend on just one person... The entire team has to contribute to getting the runs you need.”
Talking about the young Indian batters who have impressed him the most so far in this IPL, Lara picked Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma and Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag.
