Veteran Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stepped into Virat Kohli's shoes amid talks of his demotion to No.3 in the Rohit Sharma-led side's 2024 T20 World Cup fixture against Afghanistan on Thursday.

“There is no chance for a player like Virat Kohli to damage his confidence. He will say, ‘you brought me down to number 3, I will show you who I am.'. That's how he will bat, first of all. I am saying this because I know him,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, AB de Villiers, who spent many years with Virat Kohli during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), wants Rohit Sharma to move Virat Kohli to No.3 in India's batting order.

“I have always said please bat Virat at No. 3. Especially in better wickets that they will play now, Virat is the go-to guy at No. 3. He can play the attacking game and also pull back and absorb the pressure if necessary. He is the best player in the world in the middle overs. I don't see any reasons (for opening),” AB De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

Last week, USA's Saurabh Netravalkar removed the Team India superstar for a golden duck at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

With Virat Kohli registering his maiden golden duck in the T20 World Cup, his terrible run in the tournament extended to three matches in a row.

The Delhi-born cricketer arrived in the US after having a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL), recording one of his best seasons in the 17 editions of the competition.

During the 17th edition of the tournament, Virat Kohli made 741 runs in 15 matches, thus becoming the only batter to cross the 700-run barrier this year.

With this, Virat Kohli won the Orange Cap for the second time in the history of the IPL, having previously bagged it in 2016.

In 2016, Virat Kohli struck a phenomenal 973 runs, which remains a record in the event.

But he began his T20 World Cup campaign with a score of 1 off 5 deliveries against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in the Big Apple last week.

On a lively pitch that was aiding fast bowlers, Virat Kohli slashed hard at the ball delivered by Mark Adair. However, he could only get a thick edge, and Benjamin White, who was standing at third man, did the rest.

The 35-year-old batter followed his 1 against Ireland by scoring four runs against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Interestingly, it was his lowest score against the Green Army in the T20 World Cup.

After experiencing two successive failures, everyone expected Virat Kohli to find his groove against the USA but it wasn't meant to be.

Saurabh Netravalkar, who once represented India in the U-19 World Cup, ended Virat Kohli's plans of rejuvenation as soon as he arrived at the crease to open the batting with skipper Rohit Sharma.

Enticing Virat Kohli with a little bit of a wide delivery outside the off stump, Saurabh Netravalkar sent him back to the pavilion after he edged the ball to be caught behind by the wicketkeeper.

It is worth noting that in the past, Virat Kohli has had difficulties against left-arm bowlers, and Saurabh Netravalkar was no exception. With the track helping the fast bowlers, Saurabh Netravalkar's delivery moved after pitching and Virat Kohli was unable to handle it, thus losing his wicket for naught against the hosts.

It is worth mentioning that AB de Villiers is not the first former cricketer to suggest a change in Virat Kohli's batting position.

Before AB de Villiers, ex-India batter Mohammad Kaif shared similar views and even explained the reasons behind his suggestion to send Virat Kohli back to his original No.3 position in the batting order.

He urged the former India captain to curb his aggressive instinct for a few deliveries after arriving at the crease before taking on the bowlers after settling down in a rhythm.

“I believe Virat Kohli should bat at number three. He has been opening in these seaming conditions where batting is not easy, unlike the flat pitches in the IPL. He plays excellently and aggressively, but perhaps here, he shouldn't play aggressively; maybe he should play to save his wicket,” Mohammad Kaif said in a video posted on X.

“At number three, Virat Kohli will play his natural game. He will have time to settle and analyze the game. Scoring 50-60 runs would be great for him. His stats at this position in previous World Cups are impressive. If Rishabh Pant can move from number five to number three, then he can also open from number three. You will get a left-right combination, with Kohli at number three and Suryakumar Yadav at number four,” he signed off.