Sunil Gavaskar, the former captain of India, has backed him to do well in the next games after his poor performances. In the current T20 World Cup 2024, star Indian batter Virat Kohli is not doing well at the batting end. Opening in every game, he has played three innings and only managed to fetch five runs. Although Kohli has often batted for India at number three, this competition is the first time he has been used as an opener.
Kohli scored four runs against Pakistan, his bitter rivals, after scoring one run against Ireland in the opening game. On June 12, when playing against the United States of America, he was expected to perform well, but Saurabh Netravalkar dismissed him for a golden duck. Gavaskar reassured the right-hander that mistakes are inevitable with good deliveries and that his form is not a cause for concern.
“It is not a sign that he is not hitting well when you receive three low scores. Good delivery do happen occasionally. If it had been any other day, the ball would have crossed the boundary line or gone wide, but not today. Therefore, there is no need for concern. Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar stated, “We have to have faith in him and think that he will succeed sooner rather than later.
To succeed, Virat Kohli only needs to be patient and believe in himself: Sunil Gavaskar
In the Indian Premier League 2024, the 35-year-old started as an opener for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. After scoring 741 runs in 15 games, including a century, he was the league’s highest scorer. He had come under fire from Gavaskar for his poor strike rate and endangering the run total for RCB in a match. But the seasoned critic’s past criticism and current support have been supported by reason. He also said that Kohli has a lot of patience and faith in himself, and he affirmed that his form will improve as the tournament moves into the final stages.
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“Winning games is the main source of motivation for any player, especially when representing their nation. Over the years, he has won numerous games and performed incredibly well for India. I believe he is aware of that. The tournament is just getting started. There are semi-finals, the final, and hopefully the Super 8. I believe he has plenty of patience and faith in himself; that’s all he needs to do,” he continued.