(Source X)
Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle has come to the defense of former Indian captain Virat Kohli amidst his struggles to score runs in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the USA. Bhogle emphasized the importance of supporting Kohli during this challenging phase while also critiquing his form in the ICC T20 tournament.
Prior to the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli demonstrated exceptional batting prowess in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), where he led the run charts playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He amassed 741 runs in 15 matches at an impressive strike rate of 154.70.
Despite his stellar IPL performance, the 35-year-old has faced difficulties in the current ICC tournament. Kohli endured single-digit scores in three group stage matches and managed his highest score of 37 runs off 28 balls against Bangladesh during the Super Eight phase.
In the semi-final clash against England in Guyana on June 27, Kohli could only muster nine runs from nine balls, including one six. Overall, his performance in the event has been disappointing, accumulating 75 runs in seven innings at an average of 10.71 and a strike rate of 100, which includes two scoreless outings.
Harsha Bhogle – The Time To Show Your Class
Harsha Bhogle used his platform on X (formerly known as Twitter) to call upon fans to exhibit maturity and restraint on social media. He stressed the significance of rallying behind Virat Kohli during what he described as a testing phase for the cricketer. Bhogle expressed optimism that Kohli could deliver a game-changing performance in the upcoming final of the World Cup.
“Sometimes there is very angry and vicious banter from fan clubs on social media. When a player is down is the time to show your class. And this is the time to get behind Virat Kohli who could well produce a match winning performance in the final. But irrespective, this is the time to rally around,” Bhogle tweeted.
India has secured a spot in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, marking their third consecutive appearance in an ICC tournament final. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indian team previously reached the finals of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 and the ODI World Cup 2023, but unfortunately faced defeats against Australia on both occasions.
Led by Rohit Sharma, India is set to clash with Aiden Markram’s South African team in the summit showdown at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. The Indian squad aims to break their decade-long drought of ICC trophies by triumphing over South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024.
