Despite early struggles, Matthew Hayden believes Virat Kohli can improve his performance in the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Legendary Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden believes Virat Kohli can turn his fortunes around in the Super Eights stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Kohli has struggled so far in the tournament, scoring only single-digit runs in all three of his innings.
Hayden pointed to Kohli’s experience playing in Caribbean conditions as a key factor. “These [Caribbean] are venues where you have to construct an innings and think about the kind of realistic totals that are possible,” Hayden said on Star Sports Press Room.
He explained that understanding factors like wind direction will be crucial for Kohli’s success. “Outside of St. Lucia, par scores are in the range of 160–170, and Virat, with all his experience, will be able to work out what to do,” Hayden said.
Hayden acknowledged the difficulty of the pitches in the United States, where India played their group stage matches: “Conditions in the USA were extremely tough; no one likes that. But that’s why experience counts.” Kohli entered the World Cup on a high note, having been the leading run-scorer in IPL 2024 with 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.69. However, his form in the World Cup has been a concern for Indian fans.
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Hayden defended the team’s decision to continue opening with Kohli. “I said it during the IPL as well: if Kohli was going to be in the team, he needed to open. Virat at three, I don’t think we’ll get the best out of him,” Hayden said. He argued that Kohli’s skills are best utilised at the top of the order. “You can’t just turn up and blast 250 on these wickets; you need thinking cricketers,” Hayden explained.
Hayden also emphasised the importance of maintaining a high strike rate in the powerplay overs. “He needs to continue to have a great strike rate. We’ve clearly seen a pattern emerge here at the World Cup where, for those six overs [powerplay], you have to be in front of the game. It’s too hard to catch up,” Hayden concluded.
Last Updated on June 19, 2024
