“Bring Back That Earlier Version”: Sanjay Manjrekar Wants Virat Kohli’s Old Playing Style For Difficult Pitches in T20 WC

June 12, 2024 0 796

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes Virat Kohli should return to his old batting style to perform better on challenging pitches in the T20 World Cup.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has suggested that Virat Kohli revisit his earlier batting approach to counter the challenging pitches at the ongoing T20 World Cup. Kohli, under pressure to improve his strike rate, opted for a more aggressive style during the recent IPL season, amassing 741 runs at a strike rate of nearly 155. However, this aggressive approach has not translated well on the slow New York pitches, resulting in a petty five runs across two innings for Kohli.

Despite his recent struggles, Kohli boasts an impressive record in T20 World Cups, averaging over 71 runs at a strike rate of 130.67 in 29 matches.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo ahead of India’s clash with the USA, Manjrekar believes Kohli needs to adjust his tactics. “The focus on strike rate in the past two years might have impacted Kohli’s approach. While his IPL performance was impressive, the World Cup pitches demand a different strategy. The old Virat, who played with more method, would have been better suited for these conditions,” opined Manjrekar.

Manjrekar further emphasised the need for Kohli to adapt, suggesting, “So, I feel someone should tell him to bring back that earlier version of himself and then change again when the pitches become flat.”

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Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah has emerged as India’s hero, bagging back-to-back Player of the Match awards for his stellar bowling performances against Ireland and Pakistan. Bumrah’s crucial spell of 3/14 in four overs was instrumental in India’s thrilling six-run victory over Pakistan in their last encounter.

Interestingly, Sanjay Manjrekar also took a subtle dig at Kohli on social media, highlighting Bumrah’s contributions. “While the media is fixated on Virat and company. Jasprit Bumrah has been quietly winning matches for India single-handedly. He’s arguably the team’s best player and has been for a while now,” he wrote on X.

Nevertheless, despite all the criticism and opinions, Virat Kohli and the Indian team are gearing up for another crucial encounter with the USA on June 12th, played at the Nassau County Stadium.