Virat Kohli registers his lowest ever T20WC score in first WC game as opener

Great players continue to break new ground in the latter stages of their career, and that’s precisely what Virat Kohli has just done. 

12 years, 25 innings and six T20 World Cups later, the 35-year-old, who is the highest run-getter in the history of T20WCs, has just done something he’s never previously done, which is opening the batting in a T20 World Cup game. 

For the longest time, it was believed that Kohli would bat at No.3 for the side in this ongoing T20WC. Prior to the game today, 24 of Kohli’s 25 innings in T20WCs had come at No.3. And the right-hander had an astounding record batting in that position, having amassed 1,132 runs at a scarcely believable average of 87.07. 

However, a combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s poor IPL form, the need for more flexibility in the middle-order and Kohli’s own stellar form opening the batting in IPL 2024, led to the Indian management opting to open with the 35-year-old.

On the day, however, the tactic did not pay off as Kohli departed for a five-ball one, registering his lowest ever score in T20WC history. On a wicket that offered copious seam movement, the 35-year-old tried to combat the lateral movement by trying to take the attack to the bowlers, but perished after slicing one straight to the fielder at third man. 

Despite the clash against Ireland today in New York being Kohli’s first game as an opener in T20WCs, it was by no means alien territory for him. 

He’d previously opened for India in T20Is on nine separate occasions, scoring 400 runs at an average of 57.14 and strike rate of 161.3. His only T20I hundred, against Afghanistan in Asia Cup 2022, in fact, came as an opener. 

And, needless to say, he’s almost a full-time opener in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with 37 of his last 45 innings across the last three IPL editions coming at the top of the order.

Prior to the Ireland clash today, Kohli and Rohit Sharma had opened the batting together once in T20Is, against England in Ahmedabad back in 2021. There, the pair added 94 together; Kohli remained unbeaten on 80* in a clash which India won by 36 runs. 

Today in New York, however, the duo just added together 22 runs. 

But despite the failure today, expect India to stick with the pairing of Rohit and Kohli for the foreseeable future, at least the remainder of the group stages. It’s already given the side middle-order flexibility, with them fielding two left-handers — Rishabh Pant and Shivam Dube — in the middle-order as a result of moving Kohli to the top. 

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