Openers KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan are giving a good headache to Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri ahead of India’s first T20 World Cup game against Pakistan. The two played fluent half-century knocks in the warm-up game versus England on Monday, making a strong case for their selection into the playing 11. Now, with Rohit Sharma an almost certain pick for the opening slot, the team management will have to make some tough calls. 

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Chasing 189 runs, Kishan and Rahul opened for India. The two from the word ‘go’ started an onslaught, taking the English bowlers for a ride all over the park. They put up an 82-run opening stand in 8.2 overs. Rahul was dismissed for 51 runs off 24 balls at a strike rate of over 210. The Punjab Kings skipper hit six boundaries and three maximums during his stay. The 29-year-old hit three fours and one six in the fourth over bowled by Chris Woakes, building the momentum India needed for the stage. 

Kishan, on the other hand, was declared retired out after he had played a 46-ball 70. The Mumbai Indians opener was dropped twice but kept slogging hard all through his stay at the crease. The youngster hit seven boundaries and three maximums. The peak of Kishan’s innings came in the 12th over when he hit Adil Rashid for two sixes and as many fours. 

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Kishan and Rahul seem to have carried their IPL form into the T20 World Cup. The former was coming off two consecutive fifties and the latter finished the league as the third-highest run-scorer. 

India won the warm-up game by six wickets with one over to spare. 

Virat Kohli scored 11 runs in 13 balls. Hardik Pandya (12) and Rishabh Pant (29) sealed the game.