Renowned figure in world cricket and former India captain, Kris Srikkanth has stressed the importance of Indian cricketers sticking to their natural playing style, even as the team adopts a more aggressive batting approach in preparation for the T20 World Cup 2024. Particularly, Srikkanth mentioned Virat Kohli, expressing his desire for Kohli to continue batting in his characteristic manner rather than forcing aggression from the outset.
"Each player has his own game. Everybody should first follow their game. If you tell Yashasvi Jaiswal to take his time and play, it's not right. Players like him and 'Cheeka', you can't tell them to take their time," Srikkanth said in his YouTube show.
"Rohit Sharma is capable of doing it. Virat Kohli should play his natural game. He likes taking his time. He is not worried about hitting sixes. He is capable of accelerating in the end, hit sixes in the end. We saw the Pakistan game in Melbourne, the way he built it up and won it for us.
"So, like you said, the strike rate and all that should be on the back of the mind. If you run after it desperately, it won't work. If you started swinging from the word go... this is international cricket, you will be lucky to connect once or twice, not always.
"Virat Kohli should follow his principles of the game. How has he succeeded in international cricket? He has followed his style and done it. I think everybody should stick to their strengths," he added.
Kohli made his comeback to T20I cricket after a 14-month hiatus in the recent series against Afghanistan, amidst questions regarding the roles of senior players like himself and Rohit Sharma leading up to the ODI World Cup. Both Kohli and Sharma silenced critics with their significant contributions, helping India to a 3-0 series victory.
Talking about their production with the bat, the 'Hitman' was dismissed for consecutive ducks to start the series but the Indian skipper roared back with a thunderous century in the final match of the series. On the flip side, Kohli missed the first match of the series and played a quick-fire cameo in the second T20I in Indore before getting dismissed for a golden duck in 3rd T20I in Bengaluru.
Srikkanth's comments reflect the evolving dynamics of the Indian cricket team as they gear up for the T20 World Cup. With a blend of experienced players like Kohli and Sharma and emerging talents, the team's strategy and player roles are key areas of focus in the lead-up to the prestigious tournament.
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