News by “Sana Ullah”
In the midst of swirling rumors about India potentially sidelining star batsman Virat Kohli from the roster for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, former Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Irfan has offered his perspective.
The speculation gained momentum following a report by The Telegraph India, suggesting Kohli might not feature in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, set to take place in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).
As per the report, Indian selectors are contemplating the inclusion of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh over Kohli, deeming these players more suitable for the shorter format and the anticipated conditions of the tournament.
Disagreeing with this notion, Kohli’s former adversary, Irfan, lavished praise on the star batsman, asserting, “I have no doubts about it. You can’t have a team without Virat Kohli because he is a tremendous batsman.” He shared his views while speaking to a local news channel.
The 41-year-old highlighted Kohli’s pivotal role in India’s journey during the ICC World Cup 2023, where his stellar performances significantly contributed to India’s dominance in the tournament.
“We witnessed it in the ODI World Cup last year, where he won 3-4 matches almost single-handedly. Had Kohli not stepped up on those occasions, India would have lost group-stage encounters against Australia and New Zealand,” Irfan emphasized.
It’s worth noting that India faced a disheartening exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 following a humiliating ten-wicket loss in the semi-final against champions England.
Since then, Kohli and Rohit Sharma had been absent from the T20I format until their comeback during the Afghanistan series last month. In Sharma’s absence, Hardik Pandya led India in T20Is, and Suryakumar Yadav took charge during the T20I series against Australia following the 50-over World Cup 2023.
Remarkably, the last global tournament India won was in 2013 when they clinched the Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni.
