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Despite a challenging season for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the ongoing IPL 2024, Virat Kohli has been a lone bright spot. The former Indian skipper has already notched up two fifties and a century, showcasing his batting prowess. However, his performance has been overshadowed by discussions surrounding his strike rate. While Kohli currently boasts a strike rate exceeding 140 in this IPL season, he often plays the role of an anchor, laying a solid foundation for RCB's batting. Talking about his recent performance, Kohli scored 42 off 20 with a stunning strike rate of 210 in RCB's losing cause in the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
However, some experts argue that the anchor role has become less relevant in the fast-paced world of T20 cricket.
This debate around Kohli's strike rate has intensified recently. Former World Cup-winning pacer Irfan Pathan came to Kohli's defense, lashing out at critics who solely focus on his strike rate. Pathan highlighted that Kohli's current strike rate (138.15) is actually quite similar to Rohit Sharma's (139.17).
The question remains is whether Kohli's role as an anchor player is still valuable for RCB, or does the team need him to adopt a more aggressive approach at the crease.
Irfan Pathan muzzles Virat Kohli's strike-rate critics
“Virat Kohli’s strike rate is actually slightly better than Chris Gayle in T20Is. It’s 137, or close to 138; Hardik Pandya’s strike is 139; Rohit Sharma’s strike rate is 139. We don’t talk about their strike rate, and we are talking about Virat. You need to make it strike-rate plus average,” Pathan said during a conversation with Star sports.
“You need to see the kind of role that particular player is playing. You can’t have the same yardstick for each and every player. If a guy is batting at No. 6 or 7 and has a strike rate of 137, will you be happy? You want a better strike rate. But if you have a guy who has a nearly 50 average plus a 137 strike rate, why would you even want to talk about whether he should be on the team or not?,” he added.
Despite scoring a magnificent century (113 off 72 balls) against Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals a few days back, Virat Kohli's strike rate remained a subject of debate.
Mithali Raj wants Virat Kohli in India's T20 World Cup squad
Meanwhile, former India women's cricket captain Mithali Raj advocated for Kohli's place in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
Kohli wasn't just India's leading run-scorer, but the tournament's overall highest run-getter in the 2022 T20 World Cup held in Australia. He amassed a staggering 296 runs in just six matches, boasting a stellar average of 98.66 and a strike rate close to 137. This included a magnificent century and a further four impressive half-centuries. Kohli's mastery of the format extends beyond this single tournament. Across his entire T20I career, he maintains an impressive strike rate of 138.15. Furthermore, he stands as the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals, with a staggering 4037 runs to his name.
"We should definitely pick Virat Kohli because, when you're talking about experience going into the World Cup, he's also someone who's done very well in the last T20 World Cup. But again, in which order he plays and what is the requirements of the team, that is something the management and the captain have to look at," Mithali said on Star Sports.
"If he's scoring runs at this strike rate as an opener, then it's an option whether to bat him at No. 3 or as an opener. Of course, you have Shubham Gill; their approach is pretty much similar. So, it's up to the management, but I feel that if we are using the same yardstick of picking people who are in form, then we should also go with Virat Kohli," she concluded.
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