The T20 World Cup 2024 has seen no action from Virat Kohli’s bat, suggesting that the batsman is having difficulty adjusting to his new role as opener. In just eight innings, he has only managed 75 runs and seven outs during the powerplay. Contrary to his usual demeanour, the batter has adopted an aggressive mindset, suggesting that he has failed to interpret the pitches’ varying bounce. His form is still vital going into India’s Final against South Africa.
Nasser Hussain, a former England captain, has placed his faith in the talismanic batter to perform on the biggest of occasions ahead of the next final. He said that the batsman performs well in crucial games and recalled Kohli’s historic performance against Pakistan at the MCG in 2022. Hussain pointed out that even though the right-hander hasn’t scored any runs, he still has a respectable strikeout rate.
“Go back to India’s performance at the MCG against Pakistan; they were in disarray. Who was the smashing person at the end? For the Indians, that is the biggest game in their history. You know about India-Pakistan. Hussain was quoted by NDTV Sports as saying, “So he is always there in big matches.”
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Personally, I believe Virat Kohli ought to bat in the same manner as he has for the past ten years. He strikes out at a rate of 138. He can act as the unifying factor, the rock, as they all come in and do their turns. As a player, Kohli is unquestionable. In a crucial game, you can’t question him. “That New York pitch has hurt him because he had an incredible IPL season,” he continued.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli is emerging from rigorous scrutiny.
Prior to the major event, Virat Kohli was being closely watched because of reports that his low strike rate in Twenty20 Internationals was the reason for his dismissal. But in the IPL 2024, the hitter demonstrated his worth by winning the Orange Cap, which goes to the player with the most runs scored. While he was opening for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, he was outstanding, but he hasn’t been able to repeat it for the national team in a comparable role.