Virat Kohli taken down brutally by Sunil Gavaskar after a string of low scores continue in T20 World Cup 2024
Published - 25 Jun 2024, 11:25 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:14 AM
Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar opened up about star batter Virat Kohli's struggles with the bat in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Sunil Gavaskar highlighted a technical flaw in Virat Kohli's batting, noting that his imbalance led to missed shots and the ball hitting the stumps.
Virat Kohli had underwhelming performances in the group stages of the T20 World Cup 2024. The right-handed batter failed to reach double-digit scores in New York and registered scores of 1, 4, and 0. However, Kohli bounced back and scored 24 runs against Afghanistan in India's first Super Eight match.
The Delhi-born cricketer scored 37 runs off 28 balls, including one boundary and three sixes, against Bangladesh, where the Men in Blue registered a 50-run victory. However, Kohli was dismissed without scoring runs against Australia in India's last Super Eight match in the ongoing marquee tournament.
Virat Kohli's Balance Was Not Right - Sunil Gavaskar
Speaking on Star Sports before the India vs Australia match, Sunil Gavaskar stated that Virat Kohli's balance while stepping out in the World Cup was not as good as it was during the IPL. Gavaskar noted that this imbalance caused Kohli to miss shots and get bowled.
"The way he batted in Barbados, made 24, but the ball was hitting the middle of the bat. The same thing happened in Antigua. One technical thing that I want to talk about is that during the IPL when he used to step out and play, his balance was great. But here his balance is not that good. For that reason the ball is going on to the stumps when he misses or the ball is not being middled," Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Virat Kohli's recent dismissals were due to poor balance. Gavaskar mentioned that Kohli needs to improve his balance while stepping out. He added that more time Virat spends at the crease will boost his confidence.
"The shots he is getting out to, see them. In Antigua, what happened against Bangladesh, his balance was not right. Only those two shots that saw him getting out, the balance was not good. If his balance is right, then there is nothing else to worry about. The amount of time he spends on the pitch will give him more confidence," Gavaskar added.
Sunil Gavaskar recently faced criticism on social media for his differing analysis of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's dismissals during the 2024 T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh. Gavaskar praised Rohit for his aggressive 11-ball 23, while he was more critical of Kohli's 37 off 28 balls during the match.
Virat Kohli will be next seen in action when the Rohit Sharma-led team takes on England, led by Jos Buttler, in the second semi-final match at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday, June 27. The rain might play spoilsport in the knockout match of the T20 World Cup 2024.
