Sunil Gavaskar has expressed confidence in Virat Kohli’s ability to rebound following a rare failure in the T20 World Cup opener against Ireland. In a match that saw Hardik Pandya reach new heights and Rohit Sharma achieve multiple milestones, Kohli’s performance was an unexpected low point. Opening the batting with Rohit at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Kohli managed only one run off five balls, marking his lowest score ever at a T20 World Cup.
Prior to this match, Kohli had an impressive T20 World Cup average of 81.5, converting 14 of his 25 innings into 50-plus scores. However, his mistimed shot against Ireland resulted in an edge to third man Benjamin White, bringing an abrupt end to his innings. Despite this setback, Gavaskar remains optimistic about Kohli’s prospects in the upcoming clash against Pakistan.
Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar highlighted the resilience of great players like Kohli. “The way I look at it is… great players like Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, and Joe Root. They fail in one match; they wanna make up for it in the next match. They want to score double the runs. So whatever runs he might not have gotten (against Ireland), you know, he wants to score double the runs. And who better to score double the runs than against Pakistan,” Gavaskar said.
Kohli, known as the ‘chasemaster’, has consistently delivered in crucial moments for India. His previous T20 World Cup run-chases include scores of 78, 36, 54, 57, 72, 23, 55*, and 82, making his recent no-show all the more surprising. Despite this, he remains the first batter to surpass 4,000 runs in T20 internationals, amassing 4,038 runs in just 110 innings.
India’s comfortable victory over Ireland was bolstered by Rohit Sharma’s quick-fire half-century, which also saw him join Kohli in the elite 4,000-run club. As India prepares to face Pakistan in their second Group A match at the same venue on Sunday, all eyes will be on Kohli to deliver a match-altering performance.
The encounter with Pakistan promises to be a high-stakes game, and Kohli will be eager to put his recent disappointment behind him and rise to the occasion, as backed by the legendary Gavaskar.
