Virat Kohli must be motivated to perform well for India in the WTC final: MSK Prasad

With the focus gradually transferring from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 to the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final, fans are anticipating an exciting match between India and Australia on June 7 at The Oval in London. India, the top-ranked Test team in the globe, will attempt to end their winless streak at ICC events since 2013.

The runner-up in the inaugural WTC, India, will be without Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer for the concluding Test, which is a cause for concern. Fans and Indian supporters will be ecstatic, however, that Virat Kohli is coming off a stellar IPL 2023.

In IPL 2023, the elegant Indian batsman was in extraordinary form, accumulating 639 runs in 14 games with an impressive strike rate of 139.82 and a staggering average of 53. MSK Prasad, a former chief selector, predicts that Kohli will certainly deliver for the team in the crucial match.

Prasad stated that 2021 and 2022 were not optimal for the former Indian captain. However, this is only because everyone had high hopes for him. Once Kohli regained his form, there was no turning back for him after a period of strife.

Since last year’s Asia Cup, Kohli has been in superb form, scoring centuries in all formats, including the IPL. Prasad went so far as to say that the reality that India hasn’t won an ICC tournament in years will ignite Kohli’s desire to deliver for India this time around.

“He did not enjoy a very successful 2021-22. However, this is due to our high expectations for him. He has set an extremely high bar for himself. If he does not achieve hundreds in every game, he is a failure. However, he is a human being. Once he regained his rhythm and clarity, he did not turn back after initially struggling under the captaincy’s demands. Since last year’s Asia Cup, he has been in incredible form, scoring centuries in all formats, as quoted by Hindustan Times’ Prasad.

“He must be aware that India has not won an ICC tournament in years, and he must be motivated to assist India win by giving his all. I am confident that he will perform well in the WTC final due to his excellent form, positive mental state, and extensive Test experience, which exceeds 100.