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Superstar batter Virat Kohli's recent batting form has become a major talking point for the Indian team ahead of their crucial Super 8s match against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2024 on June 22. This is a stark contrast to his performance in the 2022 edition, where he was the leading run scorer. The batting maestro has managed only 29 runs in four innings so far this year, with three single-digit scores while opening the batting. Struggles on the challenging pitches in New York were followed by a disappointing 24-run knock in the Super 8 match against Afghanistan in the Caribbean. Despite the overall slump, there have been brief glimpses of Kohli's past brilliance. A six he hit against Naveen-ul-Haq in the Afghanistan match sparked memories of his iconic six against Pakistan in the 2022 group stage, offering a flicker of hope for the Indian team.
India's batting coach on Kohli's patch form in T20 World Cup
However, with the pressure mounting and the team needing victories to progress, batting coach Vikram Rathour was met with a blunt response when questioned about Kohli's form and batting position. This hints at the seriousness of the situation and the need for Kohli to rediscover his touch soon.
When asked about the team's undefeated record despite Virat Kohli's recent struggles, Rathour said:
“I’m not happy. I would love it if he gets going and scores more runs.”
“But yeah, it is good when you are challenged at times. You know, the guys who are not getting too much of batting in India sometimes, they are the ones who put up scores today and our middle-order came to play. So, it was good to see,” Rathour added in the pre-match press conference.
India secured a convincing victory against Afghanistan thanks to some key contributions. Rishabh Pant played a solid innings, while Suryakumar Yadav stole the show with a brilliant half-century that effectively sealed the win for India. Looking ahead, India faces Bangladesh in Antigua on Saturday. The Caribbean conditions might favor spinners, and India's selection of four spinners in their squad could prove to be a strategic advantage.
“We’ve always had depth as a team, I believe. But yeah, these conditions maybe suit us more because we can afford to play two or three spinners at times. So that I believe can be our best team. That is our strength. It feels like…somebody like Axar (Patel) playing at eight gives you a lot of confidence because he can bat and he’s bowling really well at the moment. So, it does give you a lot of options,” he further added.
Bangladesh enter the match following a defeat to Australia and is considered one of the less challenging teams in the tournament. However, Rathour emphasised that India will not take any risks.
“They’re a good unit. They have a lot of guys who can spin the ball and they are good in certain conditions. And these conditions do suit them a little as a team I think because the wickets seem to have a bit of help for the spinners and they do have spinners in their team. But again, in this format I think every team is a tough team. I don’t believe any contest in T20 cricket is an easy contest,” he concluded.
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