Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (Image Agency) Virat Kohli picked his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Chris Gayle ahead of Rohit Sharma while picking the best opener in T20 cricket during the recent ‘This or That’ challenge.In a video shared by RCB on Sunday, Kohli was asked to choose between two players at once while identifying the greatest opener in the shortest format. The former RCB captain first opted for Adam Gilchrist ahead of Sunil Narine.
IPL 2026 should be an audition for India’s next T20I captain
Another comparison was between Gilchrist and Travis Head, and Kohli picked the Australian left-hander, explaining that his choice was specifically for T20 cricket. When Head was then lined up against Virender Sehwag, Kohli switched to the former India opener.The comparison continued when Sehwag faced Sachin Tendulkar, but Kohli again picked Sehwag, saying he would still prefer an aggressive opener in the T20 format.The call eventually came down to a final choice between Rohit and Gayle. After a short break, Kohli decided to pick the best T20 opener with the West Indies legend.Gayle’s record in the format supports his reputation. The former West Indies national cricket team opener remains the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, amassing 14,562 runs in 455 innings in all T20 competitions. He scored 4965 runs in 142 matches in the Indian Premier League.Gayle also holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history. Playing for RCB against Pune Warriors India in 2013, he made an unbeaten 175, a knock that is still the best in the tournament.Rohit, meanwhile, has enjoyed a remarkable career even in the shortest format. The former India captain scored 4,231 runs in 159 T20I matches and 151 innings, while in the IPL he amassed 7,046 runs from 272 matches and 267 innings.Kohli himself will soon be back in action for RCB when the defending champions begin their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.
