Everyone has high hopes whenever Virat Kohli takes the field. These big expectations from him rise even further when he represents the India cricket team in the T20 World Cup. Not only is the former skipper the highest run-score for the Men in Blue in the mega-event, but in the tournament’s history.
So, when he comes to open the inning in the India vs Ireland match in a 97-run chase, you expect him to take his side home. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Having missed the only warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1, Kohli couldn’t settle down on what was a ‘new pitch’ for him.
He lasted a grand total of five deliveries. The first one, he guided to third man for a single. He ran down the pitch on the second ball and missed it completely. Following his error in judgement, he decided to defend the next two deliveries. On the fifth ball, he flashed hard and was caught at third man, ending his short and unimpressive stay in the middle.
Virat Kohli in trouble for IND vs PAK match?
It’s fair to say that the Nassau Stadium pitch played a few tricks, but those who had batted in the warm-up, which was played at the same ground, fared well. Rohit Sharma, who’d faced 19 balls against Bangladesh, went on to top score with an incredible fifty. Rishabh Pant, who’d hit a half-century just four days ago, scored a not-out 36 as well.
Missing that match, albeit due to a legit reason, didn’t help Virat Kohli. Now, he’ll go to the IND vs PAK match having faced just 5 balls on the Nassau Stadium pitch. Ireland may have a decent bowling line-up, but when compared to that of Pakistan, they are nowhere.
Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf will be licking their chops looking at the spicy pitch in New York. So on June 9, Kohli would go completely unprepared against the dangerous pace attack of Pakistan.
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