In the view of the former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer there is a strong belief that Virat Kohli will reach his peak exactly when it matters most and will consistently perform on crucial match days for the Men in Blue during their T20 World Cup journey. Despite Kohlis slow start in the group stage amassing only five runs from three innings the faith in his form remains unwavering.
Wasim Jaffer picked Virat Kohli as the highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup 2024 and is sticking to his claim despite the seasoned batter’s scores of 1, 4, and 0 thus far.
Wasim Jaffer spoke on Virat Kohli’s form in a video on his YouTube channel:
“Rohit and Virat have been playing on the tough New York pitch so they aren’t quite among the top run-scorers. But do not write off Virat Kohli. As the tournament will get to its business end, he will show his true colors and he will show his greatness. I had picked Virat Kohli as the highest run-scorer and I will stick to him.”
Wasim Jaffer
Jaffer also feels that the pitch in New York has been too challenging for the hitters since the bowlers have had a lot of assistance. Virat Kohli shown a lot more focus in IPL 2024 and received the benefits with a stunning 741 runs and the Orange cap.
The former cricketer believes Kohli should keep playing with the same intensity since the surfaces in the West Indies might be better for batting.
Wasim Jaffer backs Virat Kohli to continue to open
Wasim Jaffer opposes the idea of slotting Virat Kohli at No. 3 for the Indian team. He strongly believes that Rishabh Pant’s placement at that spot is ideal and cannot fathom a scenario where the top three comprises Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli simultaneously.
On this, he said:
“I don’t think Virat Kohli should bat at No. 3. He should continue to open because now you have got Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and now it has been working out really well. You ideally want a left-hand right-hand opening combination and while you have Jaiswal, that doesn’t seem possible.”
Wasim Jaffer
India would hope that Kohli returns to form as soon as possible, since he will be critical in the difficult conditions in the West Indies.