Australian batter Steve Smith has backed Virat Kohli to be the leading run-getter in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli has been in fine form in the recent past and he will look to continue the good show in the T20I showpiece.

Virat Kohli scored 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69 in IPL 2024. Kohli ended the tournament as the highest run-getter and bagged the Orange Cap award. Thus, he played an instrumental role in taking RCB to the playoffs.

Steve Smith said on ICC, “My top run-getter for this tournament will be Virat Kohli. He is coming off a terrific IPL and he is bringing in some great form and I think he will be the leading run-getter.”

On the other hand, Smith backed compatriot Josh Hazlewood to be the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup. 

Smith said, “My leading wicket-taker, I am going to go with Josh Hazlewood. I think these wickets will be suited to bowlers who bowl good hard length and hit the wicket hard.”

Meanwhile, Kohl was the highest run-getter in the previous T20 World Cup 2022, scoring 296 runs in six matches at an average of 98.67. The talisman is expected to open the innings with Rohit Sharma in the ongoing T2 World Cup and he would look to continue the good show.

India will kick start their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by the marquee clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 09, 2024 at the same venue. India will then play against the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.

Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves – Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan