IPL 2023: Virat Kohli Shouldn't Open The Batting For RCB, Says Irfan Pathan

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) return home after a forgettable outing against Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match in IPL. The RCB will face Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.

The Faf du Plessis-led side will look to learn from the mistakes and continue their winning momentum in front of a packed M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

For RCB to get the desired results in IPL, they need to perform as a unit instead of depending on the individual brilliance of a few. Virat Kohli, the RCB talisman, and captain Faf du Plessis have been the backbone of their batting unit so far.

According to former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, Kohli is looking in ominous touch in the T20 format lately but would definitely require the support of other batters in the side in TATA IPL 2023.

Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar said, "This year RCB are banking on Kohli. If he plays well in every match, then the chance of RCB winning increases. Virat is one of the biggest superstars; not only RCB but fans of every team would want to see runs coming out of his bat. But other players in the team will have to lift their game and share the load."

Opening the batting for RCB along with captain Faf du Plessis, Kohli has scored 103 runs in two games in TATA IPL 2023, but former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan claims the Delhi cricketer isn't the apt choice to open the innings.

Pathan said, "This year is looking different for RCB as runs are coming out of Virat Kohli's bat in the first few games. But it is no guarantee that he will continue scoring at the same pace (or for the remainder of the season) and win you every game. In a tournament like this, other batters in the RCB squad will have to be ready for the challenge and justify their talents and roles. Also, I don't think Kohli should be opening the batting for RCB."

Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody also stated that the RCB side looks overly dependent upon Kohli and Faf, which is never a good sign for any team in a competition like IPL.

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Moody said, "To me, RCB's middle order looks weak, and teams will aim to take advantage of this fact and pick up the wickets of Kohli and Faf early. If the opposition teams manage to take a couple of wickets in the powerplays, they'll be (very much) in the game against RCB."