Former England captain Nasser Hussain has put his weight behind a struggling Virat Kohli to rise to the occasion and perform in T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa. Kohli is yet to score a half-century in the ongoing edition. The leading run-scorer in T20 World Cups fell cheaply against England in the semifinal and earlier against Australia. Hussain has blamed the pitches in New York for Kohli’s slump in form despite a spectacular Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He said that Kohli is always a threat in big matches.
"I mean you go back to the game against Pakistan at the MCG, India were floundering. Who was there at the end? Smashing. That's the biggest game of all time for the Indians. India, Pakistan, you know. So he is always there in big matches," Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports.
Kohli has managed to score just 75 runs from seven innings. Hussain feels that Kohli should stick to his natural game instead of over-attacking which has led to him falling cheaply for five times out of seven. In New York, he scored just five runs from three group stage games including a golden duck against co-hosts USA.
"I personally and others will disagree because you want to set the tone throughout the team. I personally think Virat Kohli should bat like he's batted over the last decade. He's got a strike rate of 138. He can be the glue, the rot, you know, they all bat around, and they all come in playing their shots. You cannot doubt Kohli as a player. You cannot doubt him in a big match. He has suffered because of that New York pitch because he had a brilliant IPL," said the cricketer-turned-commentator.
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Nasser wants Kohli to take his time
Hussain further said that the New York pitch did not let Kohli start the tournament with a bang. He wants Kohli to take his time as he is not a power-hitter like Hardik Pandya.
"He was fantastic in that. So he came into the tournament in form. But he has suffered because of that New York pitch. Since then, every bit of footage from the Indian camp has been practising in the nets, with Raul Dravid trying to get the rhythm of batting. He is a rhythm player. He's not like Hardik Pandya, who is a power player. You just go out and power here. Virat Kohli needs time in the middle rhythm. He bats for 3–4 overs and gets that rhythm. That timing comes back and, at the end, under pressure. Who will India want at the end? In a big game, they will want Kohli," added the 56-year-old.
Kohli’s record against South Africa
Kohli has had a good record against South Africa. He has scored 318 runs from 12 innings at an average of 35.33 including two half-centuries.
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