T20 World Cup: Sourav Ganguly Wants Virat Kohli To Open After Cracking IPL 2024 Form

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday said the Indian team management should make Virat Kohli open in next month바카라�s T20 World Cup to exploit the star batter바카라�s rich vein of form in the ongoing Indian Premier League. As It Happened | Scorecard)

Kohli is the current Orange Cap holder in this IPL with 634 runs from 12 matches, averaging 70.44 and at an impressive strike-rate of 153.51, which is significantly higher than his career rate of 134.31.

바카라�Virat is playing exceptionally well. The way Kohli batted last night 바카라� 90 in quick time, you need to use him as opener in T20 World Cup. He should open, evidenced by his last few IPL innings which have been outstanding,바카라� Ganguly told PTI here on the sidelines of a promotional event.

Ganguly said India have picked a balanced squad for the T20 World Cup which has the wherewithal to land the trophy after a gap of 17 years.

India바카라�s lone triumph in the T20 World Cup came in 2007, the inaugural edition held in South Africa.

바카라�This is an excellent squad. I think they have picked the best possible squad. Apart from batting depth, bowling looks excellent.

바카라�Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment. We have experience in Kuldeep, Axar, Siraj. It바카라�s an ideal combination we have this time,바카라� said Ganguly.

This edition of the IPL has seen teams breaching the 250-run mark quite effortlessly, and the 51-year-old said the trend would continue in the future as well.

바카라�This is going to be the trend in the years to come. T20 cricket has become a power-oriented game and that바카라�s what it is going to be.

바카라�I was reading Sanju Samson바카라�s comments the other day, where he said there바카라�s no time to settle down in modern T20s. You just have to hit, and that바카라�s the way it is going to be,바카라� said Ganguly.

The Kolkatan, himself no stranger to hitting some monster sixes during his playing days, identified the evolved mindset of batters and Impact Player rule as the main reasons behind such mammoth totals in the IPL.

"Now, in IPL we are seeing scores like 240, 250 regularly. The main reasons are good batting wickets and the grounds are also not big in India. In the last game between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan (Royals), 26 sixes were hit in a 40-over game, which is almost one six every over.

바카라�That바카라�s how this game has gone and that바카라�s how the players have started approaching the game. The Impact Player rule, where every team has the possibility of adding another batsman, has also added another dimension to it,바카라� he detailed.

Ganguly said the bowlers need to upskill themselves to counter the ruthless march of batters in T20s, and cited the example of pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Amidst the general ruins of bowlers, Bumrah stood tall, grabbing 18 wickets from 12 matches and his economy rate of 6.20 is the best among regular bowlers.

바카라�The bowlers need to be really more skillful, we have some skillful bowlers around, to be more successful. Look at Bumrah, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, all of them bowl superbly in all formats of the game and in the IPL.

바카라�I don바카라�t believe in formats. I believe in skills. These are exemplary players who will thrive in all formats,바카라� he noted.

Does he think the power-hitting will take the elegance and artistry away, making cricket robotic?

바카라�Not at all. Demands of different formats are different. Everything evolves, sports is not an exception. You will still see elegance and artistry in Test cricket. Test matches will always be Test matches.

바카라�Look, quality players will be successful in all formats of the game. Look at Virat Kohli바카라�the best players will adjust to all formats,바카라� he added.

Recently, Dinesh Karthik had expressed his desire to return to the Indian side in the context of the T20 World Cup, but Ganguly said the selectors made the right choice by selecting Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper batters.

바카라�Dinesh played well but there are better players than Dinesh. I don바카라�t think you can leave Sanju or Rishabh out. There are better players than Dinesh Karthik at the moment,바카라� said Ganguly.

Ganguly also refrained from commenting on the 바카라�public reprimand바카라� given to Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul by the team owner Sanjeev Goenka.

바카라�It is not fair for me to make a comment based on a TV grab. I don바카라�t know what Sanjeev had spoken to Rahul. So, I leave it at that,바카라� he said.