Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has emphasized the importance of Virat Kohli maintaining his IPL 2024 form in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Ganguly suggests that for India to excel in the tournament, Kohli should open the innings alongside current captain Rohit Sharma. Kohli’s stellar performance in IPL 2024, where he emerged as the highest run-scorer, silenced his critics and showcased his aggressive batting style, particularly during the middle overs.
Kohli amassed an impressive 741 runs in 15 matches, achieving a remarkable average of 61.75. However, it was his strike rate of 154.70, the highest in his IPL career, that truly stood out. At the beginning of the season, Kohli faced criticism for his strike rate against spinners in the middle overs. Nonetheless, he made significant improvements, incorporating new shots like the slog sweep, which allowed him to dominate spinners and increase his scoring rate in the latter half of the season.
Sourav Ganguly, who has also served as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), believes that Kohli’s ability to bat freely at the top of the order will be crucial for India’s success in the T20 World Cup.
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He expressed his views in an interview with Revsportz, stating, “I would open with Virat and Rohit. I want Virat to bat the way he did for RCB in the second half of the IPL. He has to bat with freedom. Needless to say, he is a great player, but for India to do well, Virat will have to bat with freedom like he did in the IPL. So my choice would be Virat and Rohit at the top of the order.”
India will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Following this, they will face their traditional rivals Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. The group stage also includes matches against co-hosts USA and Canada in Group A.
Ganguly is optimistic about India’s chances in the tournament and has highlighted several factors that could work in their favor. He pointed out the team’s quality players and the extensive T20 experience they gained from the IPL, which should serve them well in New York. Additionally, Ganguly noted that the larger grounds in the USA might benefit India’s spinners, providing an advantage that could be pivotal in the World Cup.
“Absolutely, I do,” Sourav Ganguly said when asked if he believed India could win the tournament. “The team has a number of quality players and are going into the tournament on the back of some serious T20 cricket in the form of the IPL. That should help them in New York. What will also go in their favour are the bigger grounds, and it will help our spinners, for example. In a World Cup, you can never rule out India just because of the simple reason there is a lot of quality in the team.”
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Ganguly’s insights underline the strategic importance of player form, team composition, and match conditions as India prepares for their T20 World Cup journey. His confidence in the team reflects a broader optimism among fans and experts who are hopeful for a strong performance from the Men in Blue.
