3 changes that could happen if Virat Kohli continues to open in T20I for India

Virat Kohli has an unreal record as an opener in T20Is. He scored his first T20I hundred recently against Afghanistan as an opener. Now that Virat is doing well in this role, it won't be a surprise if the management continues to back him in the role. However, that will have repercussions on the other spots in the squad. In this article, we take a look at 3 changes that could happen if Virat Kohli continues to open in T20I for India.

1) KL Rahul will struggle to find a suitable place in the XI

While Rohit Sharma will take his spot as the captain and the opener, if Virat Kohli also gets promoted, there is no other option but to drop KL Rahul. The Karnataka cricketer could then struggle to displace the experienced duo, thereby him also entering the long list of contenders for a middle-order role.

2) Rishabh Pant might get dropped

One of the changes that could happen if Virat Kohli continues to open in T20I for India is that Rishabh Pant could get dropped from the squad. The Delhi Capitals skipper has been having a tough time in T20Is for India. He is struggling to score runs consistently and Dinesh Karthik was recently preferred ahead of him. Now, if KL Rahul also competes for a middle-order spot, Pant could get dropped if his bad form continues.

3) India will field specialists in each phase of the batting innings

KL Rahul was seen as a player who will anchor the innings. However, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are now seen more as powerplay specialists because their game against spin in middle overs has vulnerabilities. Hence, if India has Virat Kohli as an opener, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya will take care of the middle overs with Dinesh Karthik doing his job at the death. Hence, it can be said that India would have specialists for each phase, which could actually work out for the squad.