Both Dhawan and Rahul Can Play, I Might Bat Lower: Virat Kohli

With Rohit Sharma an automatic pick, the selectors have to opt between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul as his pair.

Both Shikhar Dhawan (left) and KL Rahul were in stellar form during the recently-concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka.

(Photo: BCCI)

India captain Virat Kohli on Monday hinted at dropping himself down the batting order to accommodate both Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul in the playing XI against Australia in the first ODI here.

With vice-captain Rohit Sharma an automatic pick, the team management is left with a tough choice of selecting either Dhawan or Rahul in the playing eleven. But the skipper sees no reason why both can't play together.

"Look, a guy in form is always good for the team... You obviously want to have the best players available and then choose from what the combination should be for the team," Kohli said on the eve of the match.

“There might be a possibility that all three (Rohit, Shikhar and Rahul) might play. It will be interesting to see what balance we want to take in on the field.”

Virat Kohli, India skipper

Asked if he would he be happy to bat lower down the order, Virat said: "Yeah, big possibility. I would be very happy to do so. Look I am not possessive about where I play. I am not insecure about where I bat," said the skipper.

For Kohli, it is more important as to what kind of leadership legacy he leaves behind rather than chase personal glory.

"Being the captain of the team, it is my job to make sure that the next lot is also ready. A lot of the other people might not look at it that way, but your job as a captain is not only to look after the team right now, but also to prepare a team that you leave behind when you eventually pass it onto someone else," he added.