Virat Kohli played a 51-run inning off 43 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but he is facing criticism for it. The issue here is that in T20 cricket, players are expected to score at least 70-80 runs if they play over 40 balls, and some even make centuries in similar situations.
Just a few days ago, Travis Head scored 101 runs in 39 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chinnaswamy Stadium. In Thursday l’s match, Kohli scored only 51 runs off 43 balls.
Babar Azam from Pakistan after seeing Virat Kohli 51 (43) pic.twitter.com/mVLiptJtGR
— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) April 25, 2024
Rajat Patidar, who debuted in the India-England series, was struggling, but in the last two matches, he has become a crisis solver for Bangalore.
Although they couldn’t win the match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he played a splendid inning. Today, he made 50 runs off 19 balls but got out. His slow batting towards the end raises questions about the direction of T20 cricket.
Kohli’s half-century came in 37 balls, but in the next 6 balls, he managed only one run. At one point, he was scoring at a strike rate of 182, but then he slowed down. His wicket fell in the 15th over. It seemed like he was trying to play attacking shots but couldn’t succeed.
Virat Kohli and Rajat patidar reaching to their half centuries. #RCBvsSRH pic.twitter.com/8lfykrASRb
— Harshhh! (@Harsh_humour) April 25, 2024
This puts pressure on the batsman facing him. Patidar hit four sixes in an over but couldn’t sustain the continuous onslaught because Kohli was playing slowly. This resulted in Patel’s dismissal as well.
Kohli’s last boundary came in the third ball of the sixth over, after which he only took singles and doubles. If the other batsman also slows down, then who will play aggressively?
Kohli is the senior player in the team, so it’s necessary for him to try and score runs, even if there’s a chance of getting out. In T20, the game has evolved beyond just numbers; it’s now about impact. Can Virat Kohli bring something new to the game in just 20 balls? That’s how the game is seen now, and Kohli seems a bit behind in this aspect.
