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With Virat Kohli leading the batting charge of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara has backed the former India skipper to feature in the World Cup squad of the 2007 champions. There is extra focus on the IPL 2024 as the ICC event will get underway days after the end of the world’s richest T20 tournament.
Though run-machine Kohli is dominating the batting charts at the IPL 2024, his strike rate has come under scrutiny in the league phase of the competition. Kohli’s 67-ball century sparked a huge cricket after Faf du Plessis’ Royal Challengers Bengaluru were outplayed by Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur. RR star Jos Buttler smashed a 58-ball 100* to seal the six-wicket win for the 2008 champions. Kohli matched Manish Pandey’s feat by scoring the joint slowest century at the IPL. Pandey slammed his slowest ton back in 2009.
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Talking about the strike rate debate on Star Sports Press Room, former West Indies skipper Lara extended his support to Kohli, who achieved a strike rate of 146.29 in the first five games of the IPL 2024. “The strike rate depends on position, and for an opener strike-rate of 130-140 is pretty alright. But if you are coming in the middle-order then you may be required to hit at 150 or 160. As you have seen in this IPL, batsmen are hitting at 200 in the latter part of an innings,” Lara said.
According to batting legend Lara, former skipper Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma and premier batter Shubman Gill are India’s top three players at the T20 World Cup. “An opener like Kohli always has the chance of starting at 130, bat through the overs and finish at 160 or even higher, which is alright. But if you ask me, India’s top three in the World Cup should be Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill irrespective of all these. And for RCB, it should not be about one person, as it has to be a team effort,” Lara continued.
Can Kohli open the innings with Rohit at T20 World Cup? Lara admitted that the iconic pairing well can deliver the goods at the grandest stage of them all. However, Lara also warned that having Rohit and Virat as openers can also hurt the batting lineup of the Men In Blue. “I think Rohit and Virat going as openers to the West Indies (for WC) will serve India very well. Though, I think that you should have some youthful punch in the opening. One of the younger players, showing their mettle, and having one of those experienced players shepherd the innings in the middle-order. Having that whole experience up front, it could have a negative effect if they get dismissed early, so I will use one at top, but use the other at No. 3,” Lara added.
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