With scores of 1, 4, and 0, Virat Kohli has struggled at the T20 World Cup so far. US bowlers Saurabh Nethravalkar dismissed the star Indian batter for a golden duck for the first time in a T20 World Cup on Wednesday.
Kohli was promoted as an opener for the big tournament after dominating the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, where he ended up scoring the most runs in the tournament. However, he has not been able to replicate the same form in the ongoing World Cup.
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Indian legend and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has backed Kohli to come good in the upcoming games. India have already qualified for the Super Eight and Kohli's confidence combined with his experience in high-pressure situations will be key during the next stage of the tournament.
'He has done so well for India' - Sunil Gavaskar backs Virat Kohli
Sunil Gavaskar who has been a commentator for Star Sports during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 co-hosted in the United States and the Caribbean, said:
"The biggest motivation for any player is to win matches, especially when you are playing for your country. He has done so well for India over the years and won so many games. I think he recognises that. We are in the early phases of the tournament. There's Super 8s, semi-finals, and hopefully the final. All he needs to do is show patience and faith in himself, which I think he has plenty," Gavaskar said.
Kohli has scored just 5 runs in his 3 innings at the T20 World Cup 2024 so far, where he has played all his games at the same ground in Nassau County, New York.
Most batters have struggled to score runs on this New York pitch, which has mostly assisted the fast bowlers, who have been able to take advantage of the bounce and movement on this wicket.
"When you get three low scores, it doesn't mean he is not batting well. Sometimes you get good deliveries. Any other day, the ball would've gone wide or over the slip for a boundary, today it didn't. So, there's nothing to worry about. We have to show faith in him. Much believe that he is going to come good, sooner rather than later," Gavaskar said to Star Sports.
Kohli's fresh approach of aggressive batting at the top of the order, which he mastered during the recent IPL seasons, has backfired on this pitch. The good news is that matches in the New York leg is over.
What next for Team India and Virat Kohli at the T20 World Cup 2024?
After their unbeaten run in the three Group A matches at New York, Team India have secured qualification for the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024.
India will play the final game of the group stage against Canada on Saturday, June 15 at Lauderhill, Florida, before leaving for the Caribbean.
Australia is one of the teams India has been grouped with for the Super Eights, in a pre-decided seeding. The marquee India vs Australia match will take place on June 24, 2024 at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia.
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