Virat Kohli has been in stellar form in the IPL this season and has played a vital role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) resurgence. RCB managed to turn things around after a poor start to the IPL this season and have now qualified for the playoffs. They will be playing against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the eliminator game on Wednesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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The former RCB skipper has led the team from the front in terms of runs, scoring over 700 runs in 14 innings and is also the current holder for the Orange Cap. Kohli’s splendid form is going to be a key factor not just for RCB, but also for the Indian team ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in June.
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Despite his stunning form and an never-say-die attitude on the pitch, Kohli has been criticized by many for his strike-rate in the IPL this season and have had concerns over his selection for the T20 World Cup.
Hitting back at these criticisms, Australian legend and Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach, Ricky Ponting has backed Kohli’s selection in the Indian team.
Ponting slams back on Kohli criticism
Kohli has scored 708 runs in the IPL this season with unmatched consistency and has also improved his strike-rate in recent innings’, striking the ball at over 150.
| Matches | Runs | Average | SR | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 708 | 64.36 | 155.60 | 113* |
Coming to Kohli’s aid due to the unnecessary criticisms, Ponting slammed back at the critics stating that Kohli would be his first pick from India. The former Australia captain told the official ICC website:
"It's funny with Virat. I think people in India just always try to find a reason not to pick him or a reason why he's maybe not as good as some of these other guys in the T20 game. He (Kohli) is the first pick for me for India. He can play his role at the top. And if you've got the right guys around him scoring (like) Suryakumar (Yadav)...Rohit Sharma's going to have a high strike rate. These other guys can go in there and play their way.”
Apart from the IPL, Kohli’s record in the T20 World Cups is simply stunning. The former Indian skipper is the highest scorer in the T20 World Cups and has an average of over 80.
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| Matches | Runs | Average | SR | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1141 | 81.50 | 131.30 | 89* |
Indian think tank will have to take a call on who will open the innings. Apart from Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also contending for the spot.
“They (selectors) have still got a decision to make because Jaiswal is in that squad and one thing they haven't got a lot in their team is left-hand batters,” Ponting said.
“So they've got a decision to make with Jaiswal, but I'm pretty sure that they'll go with Kohli and Rohit Sharma (as openers)."
Ponting further spoke about the the evolution of T20 cricket and the enhanced role of the top order.
“The mantra I think for the teams three or four years ago, was making sure that someone at the top of the order made 80 or 100, even if it took them 60 balls, it didn't really matter," the Aussie said.
“I think it's sort of shifting now to be more of a strike rate based game where you can have a massive impact on a game with a 40 off 15 balls rather than getting an 80 off 55 balls sort of thing.”
