"Open With Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill At No. 3": Gautam Gambhir Receives Stunning Message

Virat Kohli is undergoing arguably the most difficult patch of his career. Having returned to international cricket after over seven months, Kohli has registered two ducks in a row for the first time in his ODI career, against Australia Down Under. Amidst questions over form, fitness and his place in the India playing XI for the Cricket World Cup 2027, the Indian team management have been urged to experiment with Kohli's batting position. Former India cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh has advised the Gautam Gambhir-coached team management to give Kohli a go at the top of the order, thereby pushing captain Shubman Gill down to No. 3.

"I urge the Indian think tank to think differently. Like T20s, open with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and have Shubman Gill bat at No. 3. Let Kohli start at 0/0 so that the situation-based pressure can be erased. Sometimes even legendary cricketers need a helping hand," Ramesh said, speaking on his own YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda.

Ramesh suggested that Kohli is struggling due to pressure put on his career and future.

"It looks like Kohli is under tremendous pressure when he is batting. It's okay to fail but it's sad to see him batting without joy. Batters face two kinds of pressure. One is career-based pressure and the other is the pressure due to the match situation. I feel for Virat Kohli because they've started putting pressure on his career. It's clear he is being affected by that, especially when he is playing only one format," Ramesh explained.

"He is also lacking in match practice because of it. But apart from the career pressure, he is also under pressure match-situation wise. He is walking in at 10 or 15 for one every time, which brings extra pressure," Ramesh added.

Kohli got out for an eight-ball duck in the first ODI against Australia at Perth, and then managed to last only four balls as he got out for zero again in the second ODI at Adelaide.

Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli Gautam Gambhir Shubman Gill India Cricket Team Cricket Sadagopan Ramesh Australia vs India 2025