IPL 2022: Where will Virat Kohli bat for RCB? Here is Ravi Shastri's take

Virat Kohli will be playing as a batter for Royal Challengers Bangalore for the first time in eight years. Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri verdicts the former skipper's ideal batting position.

Image credit: BCCI

Virat Kohli will again play for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. However, he won't be leading the side, having stepped down as the captain after IPL 2021, while he will be playing as a batter for the first time since IPL 2012. Meanwhile, many wonder as to where would Virat Kohli bat, and former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has his take on the same.

To date, Kohli has mostly preferred batting at number three, while in IPL 2021, he tried out himself as an opener to brush up for the ICC T20 World Cup. However, he decided to stick to third soon, scoring 339 runs in 15 innings at an average of 28.9 and a strike rate of 119.5, along with three half-centuries.

Speaking on where Kohli should bat for RCB in IPL 2022, Shastri feels he should continue to open. "That depends on the balance of the team. I wouldn't know what their middle order is, but if they've got a firm middle order, there's no harm in Virat opening," he told ESPNCricinfo.

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On the other hand, former RCB skipper Daniel Vettori opined, "I think this is a discussion point every year. When the season finishes, Virat Kohli's opening becomes the right option every year. It's irrelevant who is at the other end. I think he performs better in situations where he is allowed more time, and his stroke-making is more successful in those first six overs."

Image credit: BCCI

Considering Kohli's stat as an opener in the IPL, he has scored 6.67 runs per over between 7-15 overs, with boundaries every 12.7 balls since 2019. However, he scored 7.8 runs per over with the new ball, with a boundary per 5.2 balls. Also, now that Kohli has an explosive opener in the form of Faf du Plessis to tag with him, it would suit the best for him.