The decision to move to promote Virat Kohli as an opener in the ongoing T20 World Cup has not worked well for the Indian in the Group stage. Kohli had an incredible IPL 2024 as an opener for RCB, where he scored 741 runs to claim the Orange Cap. However, the batting maestro has failed to replicate the same numbers in the T20 WC so far and has been going through a lean patch. The 35-year-old has registered three consecutive single-digit scores - 1,4 and 0- putting him under the scanners.

Meanwhile, to accommodate Kohli at the top, the team management has put Yashasvi Jaiswal on the bench and went ahead with two right-handed batters at the top, with skipper Rohit Sharma as the other batter. Kohli thrives under pressure on the big stage, and Super 8 would be perfect for him to regain the rhythm as India will be shifting their base from the USA to West Indies for the next round.

Former India cricketer Deepdas Gupta feels that Kohli needs to make an impact at the top, and he doesn't need to take it deep, but scoring 30 runs off 20 balls is crucial for the team.

"We are talking about runs, which is important, but if you are opening and especially in this format, impact is important. You might score 30 runs but if those 30 runs come in 20 balls, that is more important than you scoring 50 runs off 45 balls. So impact is very important," he said on Star Sports.

The cricketer-turned-commentator further advised Kohli to take a leaf out of his opening partner Rohit's book who has been giving India flying starts in white-ball formats.

"These are matches and pitches where you will have to play such knocks. If you take Rohit's example, he might not have scored big runs in the last one to one-and-a-half years, but he gives the momentum in every innings. 20-25 runs in 15 balls is not a bad innings. If he scores a fifty or a hundred, that is very good, but even if he contributes with a 15-ball 25, he has done a job," the former India wicketkeeper-batter added.

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