T20 World Cup 2024 | "I feel he's a number three batsman": De Villiers on Kohli

AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli (Pic: File Pic)

Virat Kohli had a great campaign as an opener in the IPL 2024, but hell ex-teammate AB de Villiers feels that Kohli should bat at number three in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

In the IPL 2024, Kohli has amassed 708 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore at a 150-plus strike rate, shutting the critics who questioned his intent against spinners in the middle overs earlier in the tournament.

Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal make a perfect lefty-righty combination for the T20 World Cup 2024. But to accommodate Suryakumar Yadav at number three, Kohli could be asked to open at the expense of Jaiswal in the ICC event beginning June 1.

However, De Villiers feels the former India captain's opening is not a good idea. "I feel he's a number three batsman and that's where he's most impactful. He's almost like the captain of the batting team everywhere he goes. He keeps the calmness and the composure within the batting unit," the South African great told PTI in a select media interaction arranged by JioCinema on Wednesday.

"I know Virat himself really enjoys opening, which is great. You've got to respect that from a man who's played the game for many years. He understands his game really well and he understands what he wants out of the game as well.

"But if I was playing a TV game, Xbox, he would come in at number three in my team. I feel there's too much risk in those first couple of overs to go and ask Virat to take the game on, to hit the ball in the air. All I want him to do is to bat between overs 4 and 16-17, somewhere there.

Also Read: IPL 2024, RCB vs RR: Avesh's three-wicket haul restricts Bengaluru to 172 runs

"I feel that's where he's best in the world by a country mile and that's where he's most impactful," he asserted.

For someone who has played for years with Kohli, knows how the stalwart deals with the criticism. Indian great Sunil Gavaskar was among the one who raised questions on Kohli's approach in the initial stages of the IPL 2024.

"Yeah, I enjoyed that," he said when asked about the constant debate over Kohli's strike rate over the course of the season.

"I thought it was... really bad for someone like that for a hero and a role model of the country to get so much criticism around that. But the way I know him, I just knew and that's exactly what I mentioned on my show. I said, guys, you have no idea what happens to this guy when he catches criticism.

"The many years I've played against him, I used to tell the players in the team room, you do not say one word to Virat on the pitch because he will come out and he will score a big 100 if you try and chirp him.

"So maybe it was a blessing in disguise, getting a bit of criticism, because stuff like that motivates him so much. And maybe someone should come out just before this game tonight and say something bad to him. I'm praying for that," he said ahead of the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals.

Having a disappointing start in the IPL 2024, RCB made a solid comeback with six consecutive victories to seal the playoff berth.

When the team is down and out, a player like Kohli can play a huge role in lifting the spirits and that is exactly what he did, said De Villiers. There was never a drop in Kohli's intensity even when the team was losing game after game.

"It just shows the kind of care that he has for the team and the desire to ultimately go and win a trophy. And when you're down and out like that with one out of eight wins, to still see that as a teammate, from a teammate's point of view, to see that in one of your senior players who's achieved everything in cricket. I mean, he's one of the greats of all time.

"And you see someone like that and celebrating on the field after we've done just one out of eight. That's got to be incredibly motivational, inspirational to say the least.

"And I think he played a huge role in lifting that team and getting them back on track purely by his attitude and by his fielding prowess and the way he threw himself around on the field, the run-outs he got, the celebrations, the tapping on the shoulders of some of the young players and celebrating other people's success. That ultimately is a selfless act," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)