Virat Kohli might have to bat at top in some games, but KL Rahul will open at T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma

Virat Kohli batting at the top alongside him is a "definite option" but India captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday made it clear that KL Rahul will remain his opening partner at the T20 World Cup in Australia next month. Speaking to media ahead of the three-match T20 international series against Australia starting here on Tuesday, Rohit said the team management has absolute clarity on the role of each player in the squad. The Australia series will be followed by three games against touring South Africa before India leave for the T20 World Cup Down Under.

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Dismissing suggestions that Virat Kohli should open the batting in the T20 World Cup, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has firmly backed KL Rahul to do the job, and said the out-of-form batter has "probably got more ability".

"Rahul (Dravid) bhai and I have had a chat that we will have to make Virat open in some of the games because he is our third opener. In the last match, we saw what he did (as opener) and we are obviously happy about that," Rohit said referring to Kohli's hundred against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup earlier this month. It was Kohli's first hundred since November 2019 and 71st overall. While calling Kohli as the team's back-up opener, Rohit also clarified that Rahul remains his opening partner.

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The seasoned Umesh Yadav was on Sunday drafted into the Indian team as veteran seamer Mohammed Shami's replacement for the three-match T20I series against Australia.

"KL Rahul will open for us at the T20 World Cup. We are not going to experiment with that position