Virat Kohli, after a fruitful stint in the Indian Premier League, was expected to light up the T20 World Cup but instead registered a number of low scores on a tricky track in New York. This has triggered doubts among Indian fans regarding whether the batting legend is still in form. Nevertheless, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar said there was nothing to be anxious about.
This year’s IPL Orange Cap winner, with 741 runs while opening for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kohli was put down as an opener at the start with Rohit Sharma leading by example.
But it failed. Kohli has scored 1, 4 and 0 respectively from three matches played so far in this edition of the T20 WorldCup.
While his admirers were worried about Kohli’s recent poor run and hoped that he might stage comeback against Canada in India’s final group game. The 2007 champions won their first three games against United States. The team – entered the “Super8”.
Gavaskar attributed this three-match drought from Kohli to lack of worry because he knew what he had done for India all year having carried them on his back and winning many games for his country through mountains of runs .
“I think he realizes that” Gavaskar told Star Sports after India’s seven-wicket win over USA. “We are early days into tournament. There is Super 8s, semi-finals and hopefully finals… He just needs a bit of patience with himself and be confident enough not to lose that patience.”
According to Gavaskar, when you lose three H2 games it does not mean you played badly.
“At times when you get three low scores it doesn’t mean he isn’t batting well. Sometimes you have good balls bowled at you. On any other day they would have gone over boundary or over the boundary; today they didn’t. So there is nothing to worry about. We must have faith in him… that he will come out of it better than before,” Gavaskar said.
Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif feels Kohli needs to bat at No. 3, his customary position.
“I feel Virat Kohli should be batting at No. 3. In these seaming conditions, he’s been opening and the batting hasn’t been easy like in the IPL where you get flat pitches for most matches. He has bowled well and aggressively, but maybe Here, he shouldn’t have bowled aggressively; maybe he should have bowled to save his wicket,” Kaif said.
The last game in their group stages on June 16 will see team India fly to Florida where Canada awaits them next week.
