Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has added that Virat Kohli was close to his former best in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 win against Bangladesh as well. Kohli scored an aggressive 28-ball 37 with a solitary four and three sixes. The Indian Team set a 197-run target after being asked to bat first in Antigua on Saturday, June 22. They then restricted the opponent to 146/8 to register a comprehensive 50-run win and virtually booked their berth in the semi-finals as well.
Reflecting on this on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “The batting was incredible. Rohit Sharma started first and that has become his template. He has decided that if the tournament’s name is World Cup, whether it’s T20 or ODI, he will start destructively and score runs as quickly as possible. Two shots and then the third shot went straight up in the air and he got out and went. However, he went after setting the template – the captain leading by example. Virat Kohli was at the other end. He said whatever has happened is past, he hit three sixes in this match and only one four. He even hit a no-look shot. He was looking as good as gold. So Kohli’s Virat form was finally seen.”
However, Aakash Chopra shared that Tanzim Hasan Sakib’s dismissals of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav put India in trouble. Pant scored 36 runs off 24 deliveries with four fours and two sixes as well. He reverse-swept a Rishad Hossain delivery straight to Tanzim at short third man as well.
“However, then he (Kohli) got out. If you talk about Tanzim, he is a very decent bowler. He bowled a sort of off-cutter and dismissed Virat Kohli. After that, Suryakumar Yadav hit a six off a bouncer off the first ball but then he too got out immediately due to extra bounce, and India were seen slightly struggling. However, Rishabh Pant. He is khatron ka khiladi (plays with danger). It seems like he is playing the wrong game. His name should be in ‘Khatron ke Khiladi’, which comes on some channel, because no one does this job easily. Keep him away from evil eyes, he is batting so well. However, he was dismissed again while playing the reverse sweep. That’s not a good thing,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
