IND vs BAN: Piyush Chawla ignores Rohit Sharma, credits Virat Kohli for India’s T20 WC triumph

Former Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla gave credit to Virat Kohli for India’s historic and much-awaited triumph in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Piyush Chawla believes that had Virat Kohli not scored runs, Team India had to return empty-handed yet again from the mega event in June 2024.

The former spinner recalled how Virat Kohli silenced his critics with his match-winning performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa in Barbados.

In the high-pressure game, the dashing right-hander once again showed the world why he is considered one of the greats in modern cricket.

Piyush Chawla credits Virat Kohli for India’s long-awaited ICC triumph

Notably, the former Indian skipper had managed just 75 runs in the first seven innings of the tournament, prompting widespread criticism about his performance for the Men in Blue.

But when it mattered most, the batting maestro produced a lesson of pure class under tremendous pressure, as his very important knock of 76 runs off 59 balls helped India to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.

Virat Kohli's innings, laced with six boundaries and two towering sixes, came at a strike rate of 128.81, giving India the much-needed push in the tight finish in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.

His crucial partnership of 72 runs with Axar Patel, who contributed a breezy 47 off 31 balls, proved to be the turning point in the final against South Africa in Barbados.

Virat Kohli and Patel together guided India to a competitive total of 176/7 in their 20 overs, and they eventually restricted South Africa to 169/8 to end their draft of the ICC trophy of more than a decade.

Who made the runs in the T20 World Cup 2024 final?

However, it was a pretty quiet tournament for Kohli, finishing with only 151 runs in eight innings at an average of 18.87, but his half-century in the final spoke volumes about the mental toughness and, of course, match-winning ability that his career is built on.

Meanwhile, Chawla said that Kohli's performance in the final has not only silenced his critics but further cemented his stature as a player for the most demanding moments of the game.

The former cricketer said that India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph was a demonstration of Kohli's determination, as he defied the odds and rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

Furthermore, Chawla highlighted that Kohli's mental strength has become more crucial than physical training at this stage of his career. The former cricketer also emphasized that after years of playing, mental preparation takes primacy over physical efforts for a player like Kohli.

Virat won T20 World Cup 2024 for India: Chawla

Piyush Chawla said on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast on YouTube: “Virat has reached a point where mind is more important than training. We all know how mentally strong a player he is. He wasn't making runs in the T20 World Cup 2024, and people were talking about him.

Who made the runs in the final? Virat Kohli. The team reached 175 because of Axar Patel and Virat Kohli. When a player plays for so many years, more than the matches on the ground, his mental preparation is important.”

Virat Kohli won us T20 World Cup 🐐🏆❤ pic.twitter.com/iowU5S8OIS

— POTT⁷⁶⁵ (@KlolZone) September 13, 2024