‘He does that in the powerplay.'-Ex-IND cricketer advocates for Kohli to open in the 2nd T20I vs AFG

India plays Afghanistan in T20 2 of 3 today at 7:00 p.m., leading 1-0 from their convincing victory in the first T20I. With fifteen balls remaining, they won by six wickets thanks to their outstanding effort. India wants to keep winning while Afghanistan wants to get back on track. The next game at the Holkar Stadium in Indore is expected to feature fierce action and exciting moments.  

3 things you need to know 

• India prepares for the ICC T20 World Cup 
• India leads the series by 1-0 
• Virat Kohli will be returning to action in the 2nd T20I

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Aakash Chopra desires Virat Kohli to open the second IND vs AFG T20I

Aakash Chopra supports a strategic shift in India's batting strategy, arguing that Virat Kohli should take over as opener, beginning with the second T20I against Afghanistan on January 14 in Indore. Kohli, who missed the first T20I in Mohali owing to personal issues, is likely to rejoin the Indian side and is expected to participate in the upcoming encounter.

Chopra expressed his thoughts in a distinctive video on his YouTube channel, stating his conviction that Kohli and Rohit Sharma would be an excellent opening partnership for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He urges the pair to adopt this position beginning with the Sunday game, emphasising the potential benefits of this strategy by declaring at the 1:30 mark. Aakash Chopra said: 

“If you see the entire World Cup, Virat Kohli has a playing style and he scores a lot of runs when he follows that template. Even in T20s, he rarely starts hitting fours and sixes from the first ball. He takes his time. If he has to run at a strike rate of 150, he does that in the powerplay.”

“In New York or the West Indies, the pitches will be such that there will be more chances of runs getting scored in the first six overs. So ideally you want Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to be together from the start. If you have to follow that template, start it now.”

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India vs Afghanistan 2nd T20I: Predicted XI

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib/Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman