Even though Virat Kohli finished as the Orange Cap holder in Indian Premier League 2024, his strike rate came under the scanner. The star Indian batter scored 741 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 154.69, which was the second-best among the five highest scorers in the League.
During the League, Kohli squared off against his strike rate critics, saying he was not bothered about the "outside noise." Player-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has revisited the topic of Kohli's strike-rate during his latest column for Hindustan Times.
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"Is there still a lingering risk attached to Virat – that when it comes to the big stage, the knockout games, he is preoccupied with batting longer rather than batting quicker?" Manjrekar wrote in the column, looking at India's chances at the T20 World Cup. "For Indian cricket’s sake, let’s hope this preoccupation is buried deep."
India last won the T20 World Cup in the inaugural edition in 2007 and last made the finals of the marquee event in 2014, when Bangladesh hosted the event.
In the last edition of the T20 World Cup, in 2022, Kohli once again topped the scoring charts - accumulating 296 runs in six matches. However, India was ousted by eventual champions England in the semi-finals.
"Virat is not the same T20 player he was two years ago." Manjrekar wrote. "He must know deep down, surely, that the ‘outside noise’ has actually made him a better T20 batter today than he was two years ago."
India will once again be the favourites at the T20 World Cup, along with traditional powerhouses like Australia, England and South Africa. But Manjrekar believes that the duration of the tournament means a lot is 'left to chance.'
The former India batter also said that Varun Chakravarthy would have added more variation and depth to the Indian bowling attack.
"I would have personally preferred a Varun Chakravarthy in the squad over an Axar Patel, who is almost a replica of Ravindra Jadeja in T20s," he added.
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"Again, this selection shows India’s cautious approach to ICC selections. Axar’s batting has a lot to do with his inclusion. I would have strengthened my spin attack, considering the seam attack is a little thin with Mohammed Shami absent."
India has decided to go with four spinners for the T20 World Cup, which will be held in USA and West Indies.
India's Schedule for T20 World Cup 2024
| Date | Format | Match | Time (IST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 June, 2024 | T20 Warm-up | India vs Bangladesh | 08:00 PM | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York |
| 05 June, 2024 | T20I | India vs Ireland | 08:00 PM | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York |
| 09 June, 2024 | T20I | India vs Pakistan | 08:00 PM | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York |
| 12 June, 2024 | T20I | USA vs India | 08:00 PM | Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York |
| 15 June, 2024 | T20I | India vs Canada | 08:00 PM | Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Florida |
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