Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has weighed in on the upcoming T20 World Cup, suggesting that the Indian team should utilize Virat Kohli’s exceptional form by opening with him in the tournament. Ganguly highlighted Kohli’s impressive performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), where he currently holds the Orange Cap with 634 runs from 12 matches, averaging 70.44.

Ganguly emphasized Kohli’s recent batting prowess, stating, “The way Kohli batted last night – 90 in quick time, you need to use him as an opener in T20 World Cup. He should open, evidenced by his last few IPL innings which have been outstanding.”

Ganguly express confidence about the squad ahead T20 WC

Regarding India’s chances in the T20 World Cup, Ganguly expressed confidence in the squad’s balance and capability to clinch the trophy after a 17-year gap. He acknowledged India’s lone triumph in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 and believes the current team has the potential to replicate that success.

“This is an excellent squad. I think they have picked the best possible squad. Apart from batting depth, bowling looks excellent.

“Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment. We have experience in Kuldeep, Axar, Siraj. It’s an ideal combination we have this time,” said Ganguly.

“This is going to be the trend in the years to come. T20 cricket has become a power-oriented game and that’s what it is going to be.

“I was reading Sanju Samson’s comments the other day, where he said there’s no time to settle down in modern T20s. You just have to hit, and that’s the way it is going to be,” said Ganguly.

Commenting on the evolving nature of T20 cricket, Ganguly noted the trend of teams consistently surpassing the 250-run mark in the IPL. He attributed this trend to the evolved mindset of batters and the Impact Player rule, emphasizing the need for bowlers to enhance their skills to counter the aggressive batting displays. Ganguly cited the example of pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has excelled in both IPL and international cricket with his exceptional bowling skills.

“Now, in IPL we are seeing scores like 240, 250 regularly. The main reasons are good batting wickets and the grounds are also not big in India. In the last game between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan (Royals), 26 sixes were hit in a 40-over game, which is almost one six every over.

“That’s how this game has gone and that’s how the players have started approaching the game. The Impact Player rule, where every team has the possibility of adding another batsman, has also added another dimension to it,” he detailed.

“It is not fair for me to make a comment based on a TV grab…”

Addressing questions about the T20 World Cup squad selection, Ganguly supported the inclusion of wicketkeeper-batters Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson over Dinesh Karthik. He stated, “Dinesh played well but there are better players than Dinesh. I don’t think you can leave Sanju or Rishabh out.”

Regarding the recent controversy involving Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul and team owner Sanjiv Goenka, Ganguly refrained from commenting, stating it wouldn’t be fair to make a judgment based on limited information.

“It is not fair for me to make a comment based on a TV grab. I don’t know what Sanjeev had spoken to Rahul. So, I leave it at that,” he said.

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Ganguly’s insights shed light on the strategic decisions surrounding team composition and player roles ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup.