Opening the batting for RCB along with captain Faf du Plessis, Kohli has scored 103 runs in two games in IPL 2023, but former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan claims the Delhi cricketer isn’t the apt choice to open the innings.
Speaking to Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL, Irfan Pathan said, “This year is looking different for RCB as runs are coming out of Virat Kohli‘s bat in the first few games. But it is no guarantee that he will continue scoring at the same pace (or for the remainder of the season) and win you every game. In a tournament like this, other batters in the RCB squad will have to be ready for the challenge and justify their talents and roles. Also, I don’t think Kohli should be opening the batting for RCB.”
Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody also stated that the RCB side looks overly dependent upon Kohli and Faf, which is never a good sign for any team in a competition like IPL.
Speaking to Star Sports, the official TV broadcaster of TATA IPL, Tom Moody said, “To me, RCB’s middle order looks weak, and teams will aim to take advantage of this fact and pick up the wickets of Kohli and Faf early. If the opposition teams manage to take a couple of wickets in the powerplays, they’ll be (very much) in the game against RCB.”