Rohit Sharma, the current and former Indian captain, and Virat Kohli have created one of the most fearsome partnerships in all forms of cricket, particularly white-ball formats. Over the last decade, the pair has had several match-winning and series-winning partnerships for India.
The pair has five 200-run partnerships and 18 100-run partnerships in ODIs, the most and third most all-time. They also had the seventh-highest ODI partnership by an Indian combination, with 246 against the West Indies in Guwahati in 2021.
Virat and Rohit have the greatest average in ODIs as a partnership, with 4914 runs at an average of 63.81.
The two have competed in several ICC World Cups over the last decade but failed to win the prized trophy each time. With both of them nearing the conclusion of their careers, it appeared as though the T20 World Cup in 2022 would be their final T20I for Team India.
With the Men in Blue potentially heading in a new direction in T20 cricket, they will look to the upcoming youngsters starring in the IPL and other domestic competitions to form a pair as dominant as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and hopefully carry Team India to the T20 World Cup title in 2024.
Let’s have a look at three potential Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli pairings for India.
1) Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, in their current form, would surely be India’s ideal opening pair in white ball cricket, particularly T20 cricket.
While Gill has already proven himself in all three forms for India, Jaiswal has been the most remarkable young batter in the current IPL.
Gill averaged more than 60 in all three forms for India in 2023, and he shone in the white-ball series against New Zealand, scoring a double century in the first ODI and a magnificent century in the third T20I. He also hit a stunning century in the just-ended Border Gavaskar Trophy final, which India won 2-1.
In his short International career, the 23-year-old opening batter has averaged 65.55 in ODIs and 40.06 in T20Is. He is also enjoying another strong season in the present IPL, having scored 475 runs at an average of 43.18 and a strike rate of 141.37.
Meanwhile, Jaiswal has been the IPL’s emerging star, hitting 575 runs in 12 matches with a strike rate of 167.15 and an average of 52.27.
In his most recent game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the 21-year-old set IPL history by getting the quickest half-century in just 13 deliveries. He also produced an incredible century earlier in the season against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
With the ages of only 23 and 21, the combo has a fantastic chance to become the next great Indian opening partnership.
2) Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikward
The combo of Ruturaj Gaikward and Ishan Kishan is another potential right-left combination that might define the future of Team India’s white-ball ambitions.
The pair have previously opened for India seven times in ODIs and T20Is, including a 97-run and 57-run opening partnership against South Africa in the 5-match T20I series in June 2022.
Kishan and Gaikward have achieved individual and team success for the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians, respectively. Gaikward won the Orange cap in 2021, helping CSK win the title by scoring 635 runs at an average of 45.35.
Meanwhile, Kishan scored 516 runs in 2020 at a strike rate of 145.76 and an average of 57.33 to help MI win their fifth IPL title.
They also have distinct batting styles, which is necessary for top-order partnerships to force the bowler to adjust his line and length on a frequent basis. Kishan is a more flamboyant stroke maker than Gaikward, who depends more on timing and ball caressing.
3) Prithvi Shaw and Tilak Varma
As unlikely as it may sound, Prithvi Shaw and Tilak Varma have the potential to have a comparable opening and one-drop Partnership to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Prithvi Shaw of the Delhi Capitals (DC) came into the national spotlight after helping India to the Under 19 World Cup triumph in 2018. Shaw hailed as the heir apparent to former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, has been hampered by high expectations, causing him to be inconsistent for both the Indian team and his franchise.
In the present IPL, the gifted batsman has battled for form, hitting only 47 runs in six innings before being dropped from the DC starting XI. Shaw had an impressive start to his international career, striking a century on debut against the West Indies in 2018, becoming him the youngest Indian to do so.
Tilak Varma, on the other hand, has been outstanding for the Mumbai Indians this season, amassing 671 runs in 23 matches at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 141.
The 20-year-old will almost certainly need to reproduce his current form for the next couple of seasons in order to move ahead of the pack of bright teenagers and break into the international arena.
Experts and fans alike are hoping that Prithvi Shaw will recover his batting form and that he will develop an interesting partnership with Tilak Varma in the coming years.
