T20 World Cup 2024: "There will be a lot of responsibility..." - Harbhajan Singh's bold take on Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh praised star batsman Virat Kohli ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA in June. Harbhajan Singh stated that Kohli could play a crucial role in the tournament, considering his improved batting performance in the IPL 2024 season.

Virat Kohli won the "Orange Cap" for being the leading run-getter in the Indian Premier League 2024. The 35-year-old scored 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.69, including a century and five fifties. Team India will hope for Virat to continue his batting form to end their ICC trophy drought in the upcoming tournament.

The Delhi-born cricketer also holds the record for the most runs in the history of T20 World Cups. The right-handed batter scored 1,141 runs in 25 innings at an average of 81.50 and a strike rate of 131.30, including 14 fifties. He was the leading run-scorer in the last edition, scoring 296 runs at an average of 98.67.

Virat Kohli Has Shown A Lot Of Improvement - Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh noted Virat Kohli's improved strike rate due to a refined batting approach. Singh emphasized the importance for Kohli and Rohit Sharma to balance scoring quickly in the powerplay while respecting the conditions in the USA and West Indies.

"Virat has shown a lot of improvement from last year to this year and people spoke about his strike rate. It was in 130s during last year and this time it is in 160s," Harbhajan said.

"Of course it's a big big change. Virat and Rohit will have to score quickly in Powerplay but also need to respect the conditions in USA and West Indies," he added.

Pace Attack Definitely Could Be A Concern - Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh highlighted that Jasprit Bumrah will succeed regardless of pitch conditions, unlike Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj. Harbhajan emphasized that Arshdeep and Siraj need to ease the pressure on Bumrah.

"Pace attack definitely could be a concern because Bumrah is in a different league for the kind of bowler he is. He will win you games on any kind of pitch. He doesn't need conditions whereas other bowlers like Arshdeep and Siraj would need help from conditions," Harbhajan further stated.

"If there's bounce, Siraj might do well. He is tall, can also swing it both ways, hits the deck hard and has got pace. But if wickets are slow then the challenge begins for other bowlers. There will be a lot of responsibility on Bumrah's shoulders but I hope other guys also take responsibility to be someone special," he concluded.

Jasprit Bumrah demonstrated his bowling prowess in IPL 2024, securing 20 wickets in 13 matches with a commendable economy rate of 6.48. He excelled in all phases of the game, from the new ball to the middle and death overs. Remarkably, he maintained an exceptional run rate despite a high-scoring season.

Key Indian players, such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rishabh Pant, who weren't part of the IPL 2024 playoffs, have arrived in New York for the T20 World Cup 2024. The Men in Blue, led by Rohit Sharma, will take on Ireland in their first match of the marquee tournament on June 5 in New York.

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