Virat Kohli, the very name synonymous with Indian batting prowess, finds himself in an unfamiliar territory – a rut. With just 5 runs to his name in the T20 World Cup 2024, Kohli faces the Super 8 stage with a mountain to climb, both personally and for his team.
A washed out game & horrible batting display!
With a paltry scores of 1, 4, 0, Kohli is experiencing a slump unlike anything seen in his illustrious T20 World Cup career. This poor form is compounded by the fact that Kohli hasn’t had that many opportunities to find his rhythm. He missed out India’s only practice match against Bangladesh and the final group stage encounter versus Canada was recently rained out, denying him valuable game time.
Adding to the pressure, Kohli’s role as an opener, a return to his early T20 days, hasn’t yielded the desired results for India. The experiment, designed to capitalize on his aggressive batting style for the rest of the team, hasn’t quite clicked.
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An unprecedented territory for Kohli!
| Year | Inn. | Runs | Av. | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 | 90 | 45.00 | 1 |
| 2014 | 4 | 170 | 85.00 | 2 |
| 2016 | 4 | 184 | 92.00 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 | 68 | 34.00 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5 | 246 | 123.00 | 3 |
| 2024 | 3 | 5 | 1.67 | 0 |
However, there’s a silver lining. This is the first time Kohli has entered the Super 8s of a T20 World Cup in such poor form. In the five previous editions he participated in, Kohli was a run machine. He churned out consistent scores and anchoring the Indian batting line-up, .
This history inspires hope. Kohli’s class and penchant to pull up huge numbers are undeniable. Team India, and indeed, the fans, will be eagerly watching to see if he can rediscover his touch in the crucial Super 8s matches. India needs their talismanic master to fire if they are to lift the coveted trophy. The Rohit Sharma-led side will kickstart their Super 8 leg against Afghanistan on June 20.
