"Once he tastes blood"- Virat Kohli primed to tear apart Australian bowling with Babar Azam's strike rate

The Indian cricket team’s batting superstar Virat Kohli is yet to deliver according to his stature and caliber in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. His performances were underwhelming in the group stages, raising concerns about his form among fans and critics.

Despite entering the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 with high expectations following a remarkable IPL 2024 season, Kohli has been struggling to find his rhythm with the bat in the tournament.

In the group stage, the former Indian skipper managed only 1 run against Ireland, 4 against Pakistan, and was dismissed for a duck against the USA, which has led to increased scrutiny and criticism.

Can Virat Kohli find form against Australia?

However, the dashing right-hander showed a glimpse of his form in the Super-8 clash between India and Afghanistan in Barbados, but Rashid Khan didn’t allow him to capitalize on his good start, he was eventually dismissed at a 24-ball knock of 24 runs, hitting only six in the match.

Well, Kohli showed a glimpse of beast mode during Team India’s 50-run win over Bangladesh in their second Super-8 match in Antigua. The Indian batting maestro smoked three sixes and one boundary during his impressive knock of 37 runs off 28 balls against Bangladesh.

Although these low scores have sparked discussions about his ability to adjust to different playing conditions, it was his aggressive approach that couldn’t help him score big runs so far in the ongoing showpiece T20 event.

Meanwhile, former Indian batter Robin Uthappa emphasized the importance of a strong performance from Kohli against Australia for Team India's success in the final stages of the ongoing mega ICC event.

Robin Uthappa want a game-changing innings from Virat Kohli against Australia

Uthappa believes that a solid innings from Kohli, like 65-70 runs not out, even at a strike rate of 120-125, would be crucial for the Indian cricket team’s momentum in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, as the tournament shifts into knockouts.

Furthermore, the cricket pandit highlighted that such a performance could boost Kohli's confidence and make him unstoppable. He wants Kohli to deliver an impactful knock against Australia before the semi-finals, as it could be in the star batter’s complete dangerous mode.

Robin Uthappa said on R Ashwin’s YouTube Channel: “What can empower Team India to have the best team possible? I think one is to get a solid Virat Kohli innings from him, especially looking at the whole tournament's perspective. I want a 65-70 not out. Even if you get 120-125 strike rate, I don't really care. I want that one solid innings from Virat Kohli. Because once he gets that little bit of that taste of blood, that human being can do anything. And for me, before we hit the semifinals, I want him to have that one innings at 150, I want him to get.”

Notably, Virat has so far amassed only 66 runs in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, and the Men in Blue would certainly want the run machine to show the Kangaroos his real avatar in the Super-8 clash.