Virat Kohli's Form and Where does he Fit in for the Second T20I

Virat Kohli’s form is under a heavy scanner. His numbers in recent times have been decent, but the rise of other cricketers, who score at a fast rate is putting his style of play in question. In his last T20I, Virat Kohli scored a fifty, but the strike rate was in the 120s. He also has a fifty in the recent World Cup. However, with little game time behind him in white-ball cricket, there isn’t much to judge, barring the pace at which the other batters are batting. The IPL gave something to look at though. Virat Kohli was nowhere near his best, with just 341 runs and a strike rate of 115. The slowdown against spin was evident and this is where he will be under the spotlight the most.

To say that he doesn’t have the range of shots would be unfair. Virat Kohli still has the skill to succeed in T20 cricket. His slowdown against spin in recent times though is a concern. Furthermore, his overall slowdown after the powerplay is a slight concern as Virat Kohli tends to look to play the anchor role after the initial part of the innings. With Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul already known to start slower, the presence of Virat Kohli, doing the same role is a concern.

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Going by numbers, Virat has the runs behind him, but his strike-rate is where he falls behind those who he is competing with. Now, he is back for the last two T20Is and these will be crucial as he looks to prove that he still belongs in the shortest format. While Virat Kohli is slated to come back, India are left with a tough question. Who goes out? In the first game, the middle-order had Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is an undroppable force. His batting up the order is pretty good. His bowling is also useful, with Pandya bowling more overs. Overall, a fast bowling all-rounder in the top five is very useful, and he is doing that role nicely. Then there is Suryakumar Yadav. In the last game, Suryakumar Yadav did his role well, providing a quick cameo, which ensured India didn’t lose momentum. Infact, Suryakumar Yadav has fallen into his role of providing crisp and quick innings nicely over the last few months.

The most vulnerable should have been Deepak Hooda, but dropping him seems out of the question now. He has a T20I century after a wonderful knock in the IPL and played a massive role in taking Moeen Ali out of the attack in the first T20I. His intent is what India need, and his flexibility makes him a handy player.

In all likelihood, Virat Kohli may find himself in place of Ishan Kishan. Doing so allows him to open, use the field restrictions and get some momentum against pace. Another option is to open with Hooda while Kohli stays at three. Irrespective of the combinations though, Virat Kohli’s return is almost guaranteed. Who he comes for remains a huge question. Finally, the series will be a big one for him as his T20 spot may just be on the line, looking at his performances in the coming months.