“You cannot say it is not working because of one match or one pitch” – Piyush Chawla backs Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli’s opening combination

India’s veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has put his weight behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as openers for the ongoing T20 World Cup after team’s eight wicket win against Ireland. The experienced duo opened the innings but the move didn’t work as Virat Kohli was dismissed after scoring one run on a difficult pitch.

Rohit Sharma scored 52 runs before he was forced to retire hurt. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was once again at his absolute best for RCB, scoring 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69. Kohli is currently the highest run-getter of the tournament and he is likely to get the Orange Cap award.

On the other hand, Rohit Sharma was Mumbai Indians’ top-scorer with 417 runs in 14 matches of IPL 2024 as he scored his runs at an average of 32.08 and a strike rate of 150.

Piyush Chawla said on Star Sports, “Look, these two players are very experienced and when they have opened for the team before, they have done well. You cannot say it is not working because of one match or one pitch. I want that since the team has selected a combination, they should stick to it and back it.”

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant also scored a vital knock of 36 runs off 26 balls while batting at one down and the MI leg-spinner said Rohit and Pant showed great application on a difficult pitch.

“It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on, but the way Rohit and Rishabh batted, they showed that despite tough conditions, if you apply yourself as a batter, you can score the runs.”

India will next take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Sunday.