India on Saturday beat England by 36 runs to clinch the five-match T20I series 3-2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match saw India skipper Virat Kohli promote himself as an opener and play a knock of 80 from 52 balls. 

This was the first time in three years that Kohli opened for India. Ahead of the T20 World Cup, and a powerful middle-order with players like Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, Kohli’s move to open can be a good move for India.

Kohli told Sky Sports, “I have batted in a few positions, but I feel we have a solid middle order and now it’s about the two best players getting the maximum number of balls in T20 cricket.”

He added, “I would definitely like to partner Rohit up the top. If we have a partnership then you know that one of us will cause serious damage. The other guys feel more confident when one of us is set. They can come in and play freely. It augurs well for the team.”

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar too thinks Kohli should bat as an opener and drew similarity with Sachin Tendulkar.

Gavaskar told India Today, “Like when Sachin Tendulkar was batting down the order in ODIs and then he was sent up to open the batting and what a transformation it had not just on his batting but the whole team. So clearly, your best batsman have to bat as many overs as they can.”