Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has sparked controversy by suggesting that Virat Kohli‘s aggressive approach, enhanced during his spectacular IPL 2024 season, is misfiring for the Indian cricket team in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
The dashing right-hander racked up 741 runs in the IPL 2024 with a strike rate of 154 and won the Orang Cap, but he has faltered in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli’s performances as an opener in the first two games have been lackluster, scoring only 1 and 4 against Ireland and Pakistan, respectively, in the ongoing showpiece ICC tournament.
Sanjay Manjrekar takes a dig at Virat Kohli’s aggressive play in T20 World Cup 2024
As Team India prepares for their third Group A match against the USA, Manjrekar has yet again reignited the strike rate debate regarding Kohli with his surprising yet intellectual suggestion for the former Indian skipper.
Manjrekar argued that Kohli’s current aggressive mindset, which saw him improve his strike rate in the IPL 2024, isn’t suitable for the challenging pitches in New York. The commentator reckoned that the Men in Blue needs the older, more dependable version of Kohli rather than his current aggressive avatar in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
Manjrekar believes the Indian team could benefit more from Kohli’s older version, who can better survive in these sluggish conditions with his conservative approach to helping India advance in the tournament.
Virat Kohli’s aggressive style isn’t suited for New York pitches: Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo: “The problem with Virat Kohli is that there has been a lot of talk about his strike rate over the last two years, and he completely changed that during this IPL season. His strike rate had reached 150, although others had almost 200, but that is a different topic.
He probably must have come to the T20 World Cup with that same mindset, but given the pitches, the old Virat Kohli would have been much better. So, I feel someone should tell him to bring back that earlier version of himself and then change again when the pitches become flat.”
Manjrekar’s suggestion came after his indirect jab at Kohli after India defeated Pakistan by six runs in their last T20 World Cup 2024 game in New York. He had hailed Jasprit Bumrah for his outstanding performance against Pakistan. Bumrah’s impressive figures of 3/14, including 11 dot balls, played a key role in India’s narrow win over the Men in Green in New York on June 9.
The cricket pandit posted on X: “While Indian media obsesses over Virat & Co, Jasprit Bumrah quietly wins games for India single-handedly. By far the best player in the Indian team & has been for a while now.”
While Indian media obsesses over Virat & Co, Jasprit Bumrah quietly wins games for India single-handedly. By far the best player in the Indian team & has been for a while now.🙇🙇🙇#JaspritBumrah#ICCT20WC
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) June 10, 2024
Notably, India had already won its first two games in the ongoing tournament, and if they manage to beat the USA in their third Group A game on Wednesday, June 12, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, Rohit Sharma and co. will join Australia and South Africa in the Super-8 stage of the mega event.
