New Delhi [India], Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar analyzed Virat Kohli's innings during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa and said the 35-year-old's knock could have put the led team in trouble by Rohit Sharma.
The Men in Blue clinched the prestigious World T20 trophy for the second time, defeating South Africa by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday. Kohli announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game after winning the T20 World Cup final.
"Playing that innings, Hardik Pandya, one of their most devastating batsmen, only had two balls to face. So I thought India's batting was good, but Virat Kohli had potentially played an innings that would have put India in a bind. . And it almost turned out to be that, before these guys' bowlers got to the end," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.
The 58-year-old further claimed that the Indian team was in a losing position but the brilliant bowling changed the game and saved the former India captain from being criticized for playing with a strike rate of 128.
"India was in a losing position, 90 per cent chance of winning (to South Africa). The complete change actually saved Virat Kohli's innings because he played almost half the innings with a strike rate of 128. My Player of the Match would have been a bowler because they really pulled the game out of the jaws of defeat and won it for India," the commentator added.
After managing just 75 runs in the first seven innings of the contest, Virat stepped up when it mattered most, scoring 76 off 59 balls, with six fours and two sixes. His runs had a strike rate of 128.81. Virat finished the edition with 151 runs in eight innings at an average of 18.87 and a strike rate of 112.68, with a fifty.
In 35 World T20 matches, Virat scored 1,292 runs at an average of 58.72 and a strike rate of 128.81, with 15 half-centuries. His best score is 89*. He is the leading run-scorer in the history of the tournament.
In 125 T20I matches, Virat scored 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04. He scored a century and 38 fifties and a best score of 122*. He finished the format as the second-leading rusher of all time.
The Men in Blue clinched the prestigious World T20 trophy for the second time, defeating South Africa by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday. Kohli announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game after winning the T20 World Cup final.
"Playing that innings, Hardik Pandya, one of their most devastating batsmen, only had two balls to face. So I thought India's batting was good, but Virat Kohli had potentially played an innings that would have put India in a bind. . And it almost turned out to be that, before these guys' bowlers got to the end," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.
The 58-year-old further claimed that the Indian team was in a losing position but the brilliant bowling changed the game and saved the former India captain from being criticized for playing with a strike rate of 128.
"India was in a losing position, 90 per cent chance of winning (to South Africa). The complete change actually saved Virat Kohli's innings because he played almost half the innings with a strike rate of 128. My Player of the Match would have been a bowler because they really pulled the game out of the jaws of defeat and won it for India," the commentator added.
After managing just 75 runs in the first seven innings of the contest, Virat stepped up when it mattered most, scoring 76 off 59 balls, with six fours and two sixes. His runs had a strike rate of 128.81. Virat finished the edition with 151 runs in eight innings at an average of 18.87 and a strike rate of 112.68, with a fifty.
In 35 World T20 matches, Virat scored 1,292 runs at an average of 58.72 and a strike rate of 128.81, with 15 half-centuries. His best score is 89*. He is the leading run-scorer in the history of the tournament.
In 125 T20I matches, Virat scored 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04. He scored a century and 38 fifties and a best score of 122*. He finished the format as the second-leading rusher of all time.
