Why Virat Kohli picked Chris Gayle over Rohit Sharma as best T20 opener in latest RCB video

Former India captain Virat Kohli recently made an interesting choice while picking the best opener in T20 cricket, selecting his ex-RCB teammate Chris Gayle ahead of India teammate Rohit Sharma. Kohli was asked to pick between the two during a recent ‘This or That’ challenge posted by RCB on social media.

In a video shared by Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, Kohli was asked to choose between two players at a time to decide who he considers the greatest opener in T20 cricket. The former RCB captain began by choosing Australian great Adam Gilchrist over West Indies all-rounder Sunil Narine.

The next comparison was between Aussies Gilchrist and Travis Head. Kohli picked the Australian left-hander, explaining that his choice was specifically for T20 cricket. However, when Head was compared with Virender Sehwag, Kohli switched his pick to the former India opener because of his aggressive batting style.

Also Read: What Gambhir said about his relationship with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma amid rift rumours: ‘I can look in their eyes…’

Kohli then kept picking Sehwag over players like Quinton de Kock, Shane Watson, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis, and Shikhar Dhawan. When Sehwag was placed against the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli again chose the former, saying that he would prefer Sehwag when it comes to the T20 format.

Eventually, Sehwag was let go by Kohli when Gayle’s name came up. The challenge came down to the final choice between Rohit and Gayle. After taking a pause to think, Kohli picked Gayle as the best T20 opener.

Why Kohli picked Gayle ahead of Rohit? 

Kohli’s decision is not surprising considering he has witnessed Gayle’s remarkable domination in the format with his own eyes. The former West Indies star is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in T20 cricket and holds several records.

Gayle is the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket with 14,562 runs in 455 innings across different leagues and international matches. In the IPL as well, Gayle produced many memorable performances. He scored 4,965 runs in 142 matches and also holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history.

During a match for RCB against Pune Warriors India in 2013, Gayle smashed an unbeaten 175, which still remains the highest score in the tournament. He reached his century off just 30 balls in that innings, which remains the fastest ton in the league’s history.