[ad_1]
Earlier this month, it was reported that Virat Kohli might find it very difficult to book a spot in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup. As unusual as it may seem, the report The Telegraph mentioned that it was a challenge to make a place for Kohli in the team in the shortest format, and a lot would depend on how the star batsman performs in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
Kohli has remained absent from T20Is since the 2022 World Cup but returned to the format earlier this year when India faced Afghanistan in a three-match series in January. In fact, Kohli was not the only senior member to return to T20Is after a similar period of time; Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, had also moved away from the format after the World Cup in Australia two years ago.
The report that Kohli was potentially excluded from the T20 World Cup squad created shockwaves in the cricket community, but Australia’s star batsman and Kohli’s contemporary Steve Smith believes India needs a player of Kohli’s caliber in match situations. high pressure of the World Cup.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled for June this year in the United States and the West Indies.
“He plays the situation. On some terrains you play, your hit rate doesn’t have to be high. You play according to what is in front of you. We have seen Virat play some masterclass innings and get his team over the line, be it RCB or India. I’ve been on the Australian team’s opponent when he did this against us on numerous occasions,” Smith said. Star sports.
“What we know is that he plays very well under pressure. He loves that. Those are the players you want on your team when you go to the World Cup and face pressure situations. “You want experienced players to step up to the plate in those situations, and Virat is certainly one of them,” the Australian batsman added.
Kohli was the fourth-highest run-getter in the 2023 Indian Premier League, with 639 runs to his name in 14 matches and an impressive strike rate of 139.82. These also included two centuries and six fifties.
Ready to return in IPL
The 35-year-old big batsman has been away from action since the T20Is against Afghanistan. Kohli withdrew from the Test series against England to be with his wife Anushka Sharma when the couple welcomed his second child, Akaay, in March.
Kohli joined the Royal Challengers Bengaluru camp last week and also participated in the UnBox event organized by the franchise at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.
Check Latest Cricket News, Live Cricket Score and IPL 2024 Schedule, Match Updates along with Cricket Schedule, Purple Cap in IPL 2024, Orange Cap in IPL 2024 and other related updates on website and apps from Hindustan Times.