Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has expressed confidence in the ability of Indian star batsman Virat Kohli to perform well in the Super Eights stage of the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies. India will be facing Afghanistan in their Super Eights match in Barbados, with Kohli looking to bounce back from a series of poor performances in the preliminary rounds of the tournament. Despite his recent struggles, Hayden believes that Kohli is a world-class batsman who is capable of succeeding in any conditions.
Having ended the group stage with wins against Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA, India’s top run-scorer in the T20 World Cup has endured a tough start to the tournament with scores of 1, 4, and 0 in his first three matches. Despite coming off an impressive IPL season with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored over 700 runs, Kohli has struggled to replicate his form on the challenging pitches in New York. However, with the tournament moving to the West Indies, Hayden believes that Kohli will be able to adapt and make use of his aggressive style to put up big scores in Barbados, Antigua, and Saint Lucia.
Hayden emphasized the importance of Kohli’s experience in navigating the different conditions in the Caribbean, where constructing an innings and setting realistic totals will be crucial. Despite the challenges posed by the spin-friendly pitches, Hayden believes that Kohli’s ability to strategize and adapt to the conditions will be key to his success in the Super Eights stage. Hayden also stressed the significance of Kohli’s strike rate, particularly in the powerplay overs where teams need to be proactive to set the tone for the rest of the game.
In terms of Kohli’s batting position, Hayden suggested that opening alongside skipper Rohit Sharma would be the best option for the Indian batsman, despite teams targeting him with spin early in the powerplay. Drawing parallels to David Warner’s performance in the World Cup, Hayden highlighted the importance of constructing innings and adapting to the conditions to deliver impactful performances. He advised Kohli to focus on maintaining a fine strike rate and be clinical in the early overs to stay ahead of the game and avoid playing catch-up in the later stages of the match.
In conclusion, Hayden expressed confidence in Kohli’s ability to rise to the challenge in the Caribbean and deliver match-winning performances for India. He urged critics to trust in Kohli’s talent and experience, emphasizing the importance of allowing him to play his natural game and showcase why he is considered one of the best batsmen in the world. Kohli will have the opportunity to prove his critics wrong and show why he is a champion player during the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup, where his skill, adaptability, and strategic approach will be put to the test.
