T20 World Cup 2021: Difficult Tournament For Virat Kohli, Whose Every Move, As Captain Carry Far Greater Expectation – Michael Atherton
Published - 06 Nov 2021, 04:02 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:00 AM
Former England cricketer Michael Atherton has opined that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has been a difficult tournament for Indian skipper Virat Kohli whose every move as a captain carries a lot of expectations.
Virat Kohli-led India had a horrible start to the tournament, having lost the first game against Pakistan and the second game against New Zealand. Now India doesn’t have everything in their hands, and they have to depend on other teams if they want to qualify for the semi-finals.
Writing in his column for The Times, Michael Atherton stated:
“It has been a difficult tournament for Kohli, whose every move, as captain of a team who carries far greater expectation than any other, is scrutinised and analysed.”
When Virat Kohli Defended Mohammed Shami, a Muslim, After His Team’s Loss To Pakistan, He Knew His Words Would Carry Weight – Michael Atherton
Mohammed Shami faced a lot of online abuse after his poor performance in the India-Pakistan clash. Meanwhile, in a press conference, Kohli addressed Shami’s situation and said that targeting someone over religion is a pathetic thing do to. Talking about this, Atherton stated:
” If Kohli lifts an eyebrow, an army of Indian journalists will decode its significance, so when he defended his opening bowler Mohammed Shami, a Muslim, after his team’s loss to Pakistan, he knew his words would carry weight.”
Former England captain further added that Kohli knew he would face a backlash still, he supported his teammate. Michael Atherton stated:
“Kohli did not prevaricate. Before his team’s next match against New Zealand last Sunday, and ignoring the usual pre-match protocols to talk only of cricket, Kohli defended his seam bowler’s right to religious freedom, despite knowing that there was likely to be a backlash against him.”
