T20 World Cup 2024: Former India great backs Virat Kohli to bounce back against Pakistan

In India’s T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland, star batter Virat Kohli showcased a rare failure, despite Hardik Pandya’s heroics and Rohit Sharma’s milestone achievements. Kohli was selected ahead of in-form youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal for the match at the Nassau Country International Cricket Stadium.

Skipper Rohit Sharma went all guns blazing, but Kohli mistimed his shot, leading to a forgettable day. The former India captain was dismissed for just 1 off 5 balls. Ahead of the India vs Ireland match, Kohli had averaged 81.5 in the T20 World Cup 2024, converting 14 of his 25 innings into 50-plus scores. However, his shot towards the third man resulted in a thick edge, and Kohli recorded his lowest score in the tournament.

Despite a disappointing beginning in the tournament, legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar believes Kohli will bounce back against arch-rivals Pakistan. Gavaskar backed Kohli to excel in the high-stakes clash and deliver another terrific performance against Babar Azam and Co on the grand stage.

ICC Shifts Pakistan Team To New Hotel Ahead of T20 World Cup Match – Know Why?

“Top batters like Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, and Joe Root have a relentless drive to perform. When they fail in one match, they are eager to make amends in the next. Their mindset is to score double the runs to compensate for any shortfall. So, he’s scored less against Ireland, he will aim to score big against Pakistan as that it will make up for the previous setback,” stated Gavaskar.

Veteran batter Kohli, known as the ‘chase master’, delivered a series of impressive performances while leading India’s run-chases at the T20 World Cup 2024. He posted scores of 78*, 36*, 54, 57*, 72*, 23, 55*, and 82. However, his low score of 1 against Ireland marked his poorest outing in a run-chase for India at the tournament.