2024 T20 World Cup Final | Kohli will bank on his big match credentials

Virat Kohli.
| Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR

Virat Kohli cut a forlorn figure on Thursday after yet another failure in the tournament. With five single digit scores in seven outings, he has had a poor run.

Kohli, accustomed to dominating all and sundry, will be desperate to make it count in the final on Saturday. “I don’t want to jinx it but I think there’s a big one coming up,” head coach Rahul Dravid told the host broadcaster after the semifinal victory over England at Georgetown.

Opening the innings, he has struggled to adapt to the bowler-friendly conditions in USA and West Indies. The opener has gone hard at the ball, when the sticky surfaces demand playing late. Rather uncharacteristically, Kohli has resorted to wild swings, too. His dismissal against England, knocked over after walking down the track and heaving across the line, was a sign that Kohli was on edge.

Kohli will do well to revert to his old self, where timing and neat batsmanship did the trick. These qualities came to the fore in his memorable knock against Pakistan in the previous edition. Only a repeat can silence critics who question his suitability for T20 cricket.