Hayden backs Virat Kohli to bounce back: Are Virat Kohli’s scores of 1, 4, and 0 in the group-stage matches of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 a concern for Team India heading into the Super 8 round? Australian legend Matthew Hayden doesn’t feel so. The former Aussie opener has asserted the importance of Kohli’s experience in the Caribbean.
Kohli had been in a sensational form in the IPL 2024, where he bagged the Orange Cap for a 741-run season. He scored these many runs at a strike rate of 154, which is his highest in an IPL season.
However, the 35-year-old hasn’t hit the right notes in the T20 World Cup and was dismissed for three single-digit scores, twice while trying to attack early in his innings.
“In any conditions, he’s a world-class batter”: Matthew Hayden backs Virat Kohli to bounce back
Hayden reckons Kohli’s natural approach of batting – anchoring early on before exploding – would be useful on the pitches in the West Indies, where all of the Super 8 round and the knockouts will be played.
Speaking on Star Sports, Hayden said,
“Kohli in any conditions is a world-class batter. These [Caribbean] are venues where you have to construct an innings and think about the kind of realistic totals that are possible in these different venues.
“Virat, with all his experience, will be able to work out what to do, like hitting spin towards the windward side, depending on how significant it is. Look, conditions in the USA were extremely tough, no one likes that. Everyone wants to see these great champions playing freely. But it’s not necessarily going to be the case. That’s why experience counts.”
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been on the bench so far with Kohli opening alongside Rohit Sharma to accommodate Shivam Dube in the line-up. Hayden feels opening the innings is Kohli’s best spot in T20 cricket and India should stick with this opening pair.
“I said it during the IPL as well, if Kohli was going to be in the team, he needs to open. Virat at three, I don’t think we’ll get the best out of him. You can’t just turn up and blast 250 on these wickets, you need thinking cricketers.”
India will kick off their Super 8 round against Afghanistan on Thursday in Barbados.
Get the latest T20 World Cup 2024 Updates, Dates, Fixtures, Venues & T20 World Cup Team updates along with Latest Player News at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook & Instagram.
