Not many were expecting low scores from Virat Kohli, especially for three consecutive matches at the T20 World Cup, after his prolific run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) just before the ICC event. It has understandably led to debates around whether the decision to ask Kohli to open is right, but Kohli’s teammate Shivam Dube feels it won’t be long before the batting legend silences his critics once again.
Kohli scored 741 runs while opening the batting for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024, which led to the Indian think-tank toying with the idea of asking Kohli to partner skipper Rohit Sharma at the top, which is where he has batted in India’s three matches so far in the T20 World Cup.
But the move hasn’t worked until now; and while India have won all three matches, Kohli is yet to hit a double-figure score in the tournament.
Kohli’s three knocks so far read 1, 4, and 0, with the duck against USA being only his second in T20Is and the first in a World Cup.
“Who am I to talk about Kohli! If he hasn’t got runs in three games, he may well get three hundreds in the next three and there will be no more discussions,” said allrounder Dube at a press conference. “We all know his game and how he plays.”
Chennai Super Kings’ player Dube turned around his own poor batting form with 31 not out against USA. He had scored a mere three runs in total in India’s first two matches in Group A against Ireland and Pakistan.
Kohli scored 741 runs while opening the batting for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024, which led to the Indian think-tank toying with the idea of asking Kohli to partner skipper Rohit Sharma at the top, which is where he has batted in India’s three matches so far in the T20 World Cup.
But the move hasn’t worked until now; and while India have won all three matches, Kohli is yet to hit a double-figure score in the tournament.
Kohli’s three knocks so far read 1, 4, and 0, with the duck against USA being only his second in T20Is and the first in a World Cup.
“Who am I to talk about Kohli! If he hasn’t got runs in three games, he may well get three hundreds in the next three and there will be no more discussions,” said allrounder Dube at a press conference. “We all know his game and how he plays.”
Chennai Super Kings’ player Dube turned around his own poor batting form with 31 not out against USA. He had scored a mere three runs in total in India’s first two matches in Group A against Ireland and Pakistan.
“I was struggling with my form and focusing on my process…I’ve never doubted myself for what I’ve done in the past. I just think that these conditions do not demand what I have done at CSK,” said Dube bringing the tough batting conditions on the Nassau County pitch in New York. “These conditions require a different approach, so I was batting differently today.”
During the IPL, Dube was given the task of taking on the spinners in the middle overs for CSK, which he did appreciably. It helped him earn a recall to the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.