ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Virat Kohli Did Not Have The Space To Take Singles: Harbhajan Singh

Indian spin bowler Harbhajan Singh appreciated New Zealand spin bowlers for their wonderful bowling against Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

India suffered their second loss in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 after they went down to New Zealand by eight wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

On a day where it was a must-win for the Men in Blues to stay alive in the tournament, nothing seem to go right their way.

Ish Sodhi dismissed Virat Kohli

After top-order departed after adding some runs on the board, India’s middle-order failed to up the ante against New Zealand spinners Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner.

Kohli made just nine runs after playing 17 balls and coming under pressure. The Indian skipper slog-swept Sodhi only to find Trent Boult at long-on to give away his wicket.

New Zealand played with Virat Kohli’s ego: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan said that New Zealand bowlers forced the Indian skipper to play that shot because of the neat and tidy fielding that denied the opposition easy singles.

“They played with Virat Kohli’s ego. They said that they will not give him the runs. If you come at the start and play the big shot, it’s fine, but they will not give the singles. When you hurt a big player’s ego by not giving the singles, they play a shot like Virat Kohli played today,” Harbhajan said on Star Sports.

“Virat Kohli’s shot is not his natural game. He tried what he doesn’t do. If he had hit the same ball over cover or played after stepping out, I feel that would have been a better option.

“Normally, Virat Kohli’s singles cannot be stopped. But today, Virat Kohli did not have the space to take singles. Credit to New Zealand’s field settings and the way Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi bowled, they didn’t give the easy singles; because of that, they forced Virat Kohli to play that shot which he never plays,” he added.

India could push to a paltry score of 110/7 in the first innings, and without much stress, the Black Caps chased it in 14.3 overs.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Virat Kohli Is Facing Criticism, But It’s The Entire Team And The Coaches That Have Failed – Mohammad Azharuddin