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Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed his lack of concern regarding Virat Kohli and his current form leading up to today’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final.
Virat Kohli is set to play his second ICC T20 World Cup final as the Men in Blue prepare to face South Africa led by Aiden Markram in Barbados. Previously, Kohli was a finalist in the 2014 Bangladesh edition of the tournament, where despite being named player of the tournament, India lost to Sri Lanka in the final.
Virat Kohli’s T20 WC 2024: Far behind his perfect 2014 and 2016 campaign
Two years after conceding the winning six against West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Virat Kohli faced another setback in 2021 when he captained the national team for the first time at a T20 World Cup, only to be eliminated in the initial round.Fast forward to 2022 in Australia, Kohli emerged as the highest run-scorer of the tournament but suffered defeat in the semi-finals, marking his first since 2016.
This year, after a decade, India has once again reached the T20 World Cup final. However, a notable difference from Kohli’s earlier appearances in 2014 is his new role as an opening batsman, showcasing his adaptability and evolution in the game.
Ten years ago, Virat Kohli not only topped the run-scoring charts but also earned his first Player of the Tournament award, amassing a total of 319 runs. However, a decade later, Kohli’s performance has been lackluster, far from the 300-run milestone and out of contention for any Player of the Tournament accolades.
Throughout the 7 matches in the group stages, Super 8s, and semi-final, Kohli has managed just 75 runs, with his highest score being 37 against Bangladesh. It’s evident that Kohli has struggled to adapt to his new role as an opener and the aggressive batting approach required.
Tonight’s final presents an opportunity for Kohli to silence his critics and showcase his abilities once more. However, Sanjay Manjrekar remains unconcerned about Kohli’s performance and its impact on the match.
Sanjay Manjrekar says the team is bigger than Kohli and more important as well
Speaking to Star Sports, Sanjay Manjrekar emphasized that he is unconcerned about Virat Kohli’s individual form as long as India continues to win matches. He stressed the significance of the team’s collective performance, highlighting their new playing style which he believes has the potential to lead them to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
“Not really concerned about Virat Kohli’s form because the team’s form is far more important. Of course, India can lift the World Cup 2024, India has discovered a new template, the modern template of playing T20 cricket, and it’s paying rich dividends so far.” – Manjrekar told Star Sports.
Sanjay Manjrekar then highlighted that South African pacers Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada,and opener Quinton de Kock are going to be the threats to India. “I would say one of the fast bowlers, either Anrich Nortje or Rabada or Quinton De Kock . In batting Quinton De Kock for sure.” – Sanjay Manjrekar concluded.
