Indian star Virat Kohli has received a timely warning from former Australian player Brad Hogg as he continues to face heat for his poor performance in the T20 World Cup so far.
The former India captain has so far failed to live up to expectations in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup. After finishing IPL 2024 as the leading run-scorer, Virat Kohli was promoted to open the innings in the T20 World Cup for the first time in his career. However, he has so far not been able to justify the decision.
In three games he has managed to score only 5 runs. In the first match against Ireland, where India were chasing 97 runs, Virat Kohli departed after scoring just 1 run off 5 balls. In the second game against Pakistan, India batted first and the onus of giving the team a good start fell on the senior batsman.
However, he failed to deliver with the bat and was out for just 4. This was followed by another failure against the United States when he was dismissed for a golden duck. Although Virat Kohli is one of the most decorated batsmen of his generation, his three consecutive failures in a tournament like the World Cup have made many criticize him.
Brad Hogg’s warning for Virat Kohli:
As Virat Kohli looks to regain his form in the Super 8s, Brad Hogg has said that the Indian batting superstar needs to step up in the Caribbean after his struggles in the United States. He also warned Kohli to be careful with left-arm pacers like Mitchell Starc. Kohli has struggled against left-arm pacers in the past and his weakness was also exposed recently by American Saurabh Netravalkar.
“Yeah, I think he’s just in America. I think he’s relying on the other players to help him get through there. But I think he really has to step up in the Caribbean. And I think people like Mitchell Starc and others from left… The arm bowlers playing Virat Kohli, he will be looking for that ball to come in. The one, the straight one is the one, it worries me because he has been playing away from his body lately,” Hogg told Star. Sports.
Furthermore, Hogg also backed Kohli to do well in the Super 8s. The former spinner concluded by backing Kohli and his opening partner Rohit Sharma to enjoy big stands in the Caribbean. He also warned the Indian team not to modify the opening combination for the time being.
“But I think he will be much more focused on the super eights and I think we will see the best of Virat Kohli. He will finish this World Cup in style. And I think both Rohit and Virat Kohli We are going to have some important partnerships there in the Caribbean, and It is very important that you make the most of the powerplay, especially against fast bowling because it will slow down in those middle games.
“Spin will really take over. So if you really take the pressure off that middle order by executing the power play well, I think you’ll give yourself or your team the best chance to win.” “And I think we won’t break this combination, especially going to the Super 8s, there’s too much experience there now,” he said.
India will begin their Super 8 campaign on June 20 by taking on Afghanistan in Barbados.