Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has put his weight behind Virat Kohli to deliver in the upcoming matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup. Kohli has managed only five runs in three matches of the T20I showpiece as he hasn’t been at his absolute best.
The talisman was dismissed for a solitary run against Ireland and then could only score four runs against Pakistan. Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck against the USA as his horrid run continued.
However, Virat Kohli was once again at his absolute best for RCB, scoring 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69 in IPL 2024 and he will be determined to prove his mettle in the Super 8 stage of the World Cup.
Kohli is a big-match player and he has shown that on multiple occasions at the top level.
Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports, “He knows how to stand up in big matches, isn’t it? That’s what makes him really, really special. He’s a special player and I’m sure he’s going to put his hand up and say OK, I’m going to do this for Team India and when the time comes, especially the big matches, we always have seen from Virat Kohli that he performs.”
Pathan backed Kohli to shine in the West Indies conditions, which will be different from New York.
“Just wait and watch, the slog sweep will come out now. He will definitely use those shots because, look, those conditions in New York. But now things will be different and you’ll see a real Virat Kohli coming to the fore.”
On the other hand, former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu wants the batsmen to be aggressive against Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan and capitalize on loose balls.
“I think the biggest challenge against Rashid Khan is to try and be too aggressive against him. That is where you land in trouble and as a batter you need to just wait for those loose balls and he gives you that one or two balls that you really need to capitalise. And also after his injury I don’t think his pace is the same.
“So you have enough time now and people have been getting after Rashid and also the Indian batsman know him very well,” said Rayudu.
India will begin their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.
