England legend decodes Virat Kohli’s T20 World Cup struggles ahead of IND vs SA final: ‘Aftermath of New York’
Team India will look to end their ICC title drought when they take on South Africa in the T20 World Cup final on Saturday. While the team has enjoyed an excellent run in the tournament, remaining unbeaten with convincing wins over the likes of Australia and England, one of the lingering concerns has been the form of star batsman Virat Kohli.
The 35-year-old veteran batsman has endured a torrid time, failing to register a 50+ score in the tournament so far. In the semi-final against England, Kohli was dismissed for run-a-ball 9 as he appeared to play with an aggressive intent – a model that all India batsmen have followed religiously in the World Cup.
Kohli’s poor performance remains a cause for concern for India as they prepare for the all-important final, and former England captain Mike Atherton has explored a potential reason behind the batsman’s struggles. According to Atherton, the opening leg of the tournament – where India played in New York – was significantly difficult due to the slow surface, and the eventual lack of runs in the Caribbean was a consequence.
“It hasn’t been smooth sailing at the top of the order. Virat Kohli has been short of runs. He’s a classy player, obviously, and they’ll stick with him, but he hasn’t been firing. But that can be said of South Africa as well. Both teams have played 3-4 matches in New York in the early going, the pitch has been the most uneven of all. That consequence showed in the Super Eight, where none of the top-order batsmen are absolutely the best nick,” Atherton said. Sky Sports.
Kohli had a combined total of 5 runs in three innings in the group stage, with the match against Canada being bowled out without a single hit.
Other players stood out
Despite their star batsman not being in top form, India have been an impressive side in the tournament, with other players stepping up brilliantly. Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, has two consecutive fifties to his name in the Super Eight match against Australia and in the semi-finals against England. Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya have also contributed vital runs in the middle order, helping India post strong scores throughout the tournament.
