Irfan Pathan Backs Virat Kohli In T20 WC Squad: Former Indian cricketer now commentator Irfan Pathan sees Virat Kohli in the top three of the Indian team’s batting order going into the upcoming T20 World Cup.
A lot has been said about Kohli’s place in the T20 side right before the World Cup, which will start on June 2. While no one doubts Virat’s form or his ability to score runs, some have been criticising his strike rate, especially after he scored the joint-slowest century in IPL history in 67 deliveries.
The question surrounding the 35-year-old’s place in the T20 squad has been in question since the last T20 World Cup in 2022. Since then, a lot of people have staked their claim on one of the top spots on the national side, especially in the shortest format.
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Kohli, to his credit, has been in fine form this IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He is currently on top of the Orange Cap leaderboard with 379 runs in eight matches with an average of 63.16 and a strike rate of a smidge over 150.
With captain Rohit Sharma a lock-in, the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are strong contenders for the top three spots in the team, with the likes of Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan not far behind.
While some of the above-mentioned names can play lower down the order, it is true that the line of candidates for India’s top order in T20s is very long.
Irfan Pathan Backs Virat Kohli In T20 WC Squad
One man who believes that Kohli is a lock for the World Cup is Irfan Pathan, who says that the legendary batter has to be one of India’s top three batters in the upcoming tournament. Pathan recently took to X where he had this to say –
“Now that World Cup is nearing. My top 3 for team India. 1) Rohit Sharma (in form as well as captain) 2) Yashasvi Jaiswal (been saying that he should be there even before his 100 purely cos he was performing well for team India before the IPL) 3) Virat Kohli. (Shouldn’t be any question regarding his place or strike rate. His strike rate at the T20I is 138 + Better than Chris Gayle+ 51 avg. And his IPL strike rate this season is 150).”
Among the names he took, Virat is the highest run scorer in IPL 2024, Rohit Sharma is fifth on that list but has been a little inconsistent, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has finally returned to form with a ton after disappointing in the first half of the season.
As for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they are all but out of the tournament with just one win in eight matches. They will play an in for Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next match on April 25 in Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
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