Is Virat Kohli a Liability In T20 Cricket

Virat Kohli, the leading run-scorer in 3 T20 World Cups and India’s leading run-scorer in four of the last five, is now left with questions over his place. Are the questions justified, though? T20 has long been moving towards big-hitting, with strike rates growing in importance.

The question is regarding Virat Kohli‘s ability to win games through his batting style. The Virat Kohli template has been used on many occasions. Starting patiently, Virat Kohli has often focussed on running between wickets to keep the scoreboard ticking.

The question of his style, though has come up on numerous occasions. After the 2021 World Cup, concerns about the need for an anchor came in. Virat Kohli’s strike rate against spin further turned out to be a point of discussion. Is his ability against spin really a cause of concern, though? Despite the numbers, Virat Kohli has shown that he can bat with intent when needed. He took on the likes of Keshav Maharaj and Adam Zampa in 2022 when they were seemingly getting the better of him. This was proof that he has the extra gear for the middle overs.

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Again, his shots may not carry the same muscle, but on countless occasions, Virat Kohli has shown that timing can cover up for muscle. His knocks against the West Indies in 2019 or his century against Afghanistan were proof that timing alone can help accelerate an innings.

Following the 2022 T20 World Cup, India has gone with the likes of Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan at number three. Down the order, they are nurturing batters like Rinku Singh who are capable of taking on pace. At the top, Yashashvi Jaiswal competes with Shubman Gill while Rohit Sharma is certain of his spot. Does that leave space for Virat Kohli? Is the question even required.

In the 2022 T20 World Cup, it was Virat Kohli himself who consistently stood up when the team was in trouble. His knock against Pakistan was vintage Virat Kohli following the Virat Kohli template. He took his time to get going with wickets falling at the other end. Mid-way through his innings looked like it was going nowhere with Virat Kohli focusing on survival and sticking with quick ones and twos. He bided his time and went after the bowlers at the right moment to prove his value as a master chaser.

That tournament turned out to be a really good one for him as he led the run-scoring charts. Unfortunately, Virat Kohli would not play another T20I until January 2024. He had a great tournament but was criticized despite a decent knock in the Semi-Finals of that World Cup. Scoring 50 off 40, Virat Kohli’s intent came into question as it had through the IPL Seasons in 2020 and 2021.

In both those tournaments, Virat Kohli raced off the blocks and then struggled against spin as mentioned. His struggles to score quick in the middle overs were looked at as a massive concern. After being dropped following the World Cup though, Virat Kohli seems to have made some initiation to fix his strike-rate concerns.

He was close to his best in 2023 during the IPL with 639 runs. In what was a good here, he shelved his approach of slowing down in the middle overs to show that he was capable of going long while ensuring the scoreboard stays ticking through the middle. He struck well against spin as well, finishing the tournament with a strike-rate of 130, his best since 2019.

His approach stuck with his usual style of playing traditional shots, but Virat Kohli ensrued that he can strike without having to bat like some of th big hitters. His approach worked in the World Cup too when he held one end while maintaining a strike-rate as he was back to his prime form.

His performance in the 2023 World Cup is further evidence of his ability to bat big when it matters. With a big T20 World Cup coming up as India look to save face after losing a World Cup Final at home, Virat Kohli remains tough to look past. He continues to prove that T20 has space for stroke-makers like him and remains the best option when India are in trouble. How India fit him in is a question, but the requirement is aplenty for sure.