Super 8s will see ‘real’ Virat Kohli come to the party: Irfan Pathan

It’s been an uncharacteristically quiet World Cup for India’s talisman Virat Kohli, but former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that the 35-year-old, who is India’s trump card, will come to the party in style in the Super 8s stages of the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Kohli entered the 2024 T20WC on the back of a great Indian Premier League (IPL) season, but it’s been a struggle for the right hander, who in three knocks has registered scores of 1, 4 & 0. After registering his lowest score in a T20WC game against Pakistan in New York, Kohli then, three days later, registered his first ever T20WC duck in the clash against USA. 

But Pathan has no doubt that a big player like Kohli will stand up come the crunch games.

"He knows how to stand up in big matches, isn't it? That's what makes him really, really special. He's a special player and I'm sure he's going to put his hand up and say OK, I'm going to do this for Team India and when the time comes, especially the big matches, we always have seen from Virat Kohli that he performs," Pathan said on Star Sports, reported Hindustan Times.

The former India all-rounder further felt that Kohli was held back a little by the New York surface, which proved to be a graveyard for batters. The games being played in New York so batting sides score at an eye-watering run rate of 5.7.

"Just wait and watch, the slog sweep will come out now. He will definitely use those shots because, look, those conditions in New York. But now things will be different and you'll see a real Virat Kohli coming to the fore,” Pathan said.

This T20WC has seen Kohli open the batting for India for the first time in the competition’s history. He had previously predominantly batted at No.3, amassing 1,132 runs at an average of 87.0.

Kohli is expected to continue opening the batting in the Super 8s as well. India will play their first game of the Super 8s against Afghanistan in Barbados on June 20 (Thursday).

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