Virat Kohli’s spot in the Indian T20 World Cup squad is all but assured, but Matthew Hayden is unsure if the BCCI selection committee should aim for that before choosing the squad of 15. Even though Kohli has broken every batting record known to man and is arguably the best batter of all time, Hayden—who won the World Cup twice with Australia—could not help but put hard questions to Ajit Agarkar, starting with, ‘Is Kohli good enough to win the T20 World Cup for India?’.
India squad announcement draws near
The Indian team is expected to announce their squad by Wednesday, and there is a heated debate among the selectors about whether to bank on the youthful exuberance or the wisdom of the elderly. India will require a lot of big-hitters in their batting lineup after a number of young players raised their hands recently with impressive performances. This is evident from the way batting has changed in the current Indian Premier League.
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Hayden unsure about selection of Virat Kohli
“This Virat Kohli discussion is probably the primary discussion here. Is he the individual who is going to win you the World Cup? I mean, his last ODI World Cup was a fantastic campaign. So the challenge for me is his experience vs the young impetus that is required to play great World Cup cricket,” Hayden said while speaking on Star Sports’ Press Room.
“More than anything, India are playing 4 games in the USA, and they are unknown conditions, or at least less known than the Caribbean. And statistically, if you look at the way Caribbean cricket is played, you’re going to face a lot of spin through the middle overs. So, outside the first six overs, that’s where the challenge for Virat Kohli lies, when the pace comes off the ball, and you’re in a situation where guys like great stroke-players like [Shivam] Dube or Rinku are present to carry you forward,” he added.
