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Playing his first T20I match since the 2022 edition of the ICC World Cup in Indore, Virat Kohli accelerated the Indian innings with his quick-fire knock against Afghanistan. Though Kohli failed to bank on his start, the veteran batter showed intent by embracing the new style of T20 batting. Kohli played a breathtaking knock of 16-ball 29 in India’s comfortable win over the visitors in the Indore T20I.
With India meeting Afghanistan for the third and final T20I, Kohli was hoping for an improved show in the den of his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise – Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Kohli went after Afghan bowler Fareed Ahmad on the very first ball of the innings and ended up parting ways with his wicket. Kohli recorded his first-ever golden duck in the shortest format.
The third T20I was also India’s final game before the T20 World Cup in the shortest format. Skipper Rohit Sharma even defended Kohli after the former Indian captain recorded a golden duck in the 3rd T20I against Afghanistan. India skipper Rohit credited Kohli for showing intent on the first ball of his innings. However, former Indian cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth has advised Kohli to play his natural game in the shortest format.
‘Rohit capable of doing it. Kohli should play his natural game’
“Each player has his own game. Everybody should first follow their game. If you tell Yashasvi Jaiswal to take his time and play, it’s not right. Players like him and ‘Cheeka’, you can’t tell them to take their time. Rohit Sharma is capable of doing it. Virat Kohli should play his natural game. He likes taking his time. He is not worried about hitting sixes. He is capable of accelerating in the end, hit sixes in the end. We saw the Pakistan game in Melbourne, the way he built it up and won it for us,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube show.
Kohli scripts unwanted record
Kohli missed out on breaking a record in the 3rd T20I against Afghanistan. The former India skipper was only six runs short of completing 12,000 runs in T20 cricket. No Indian batter has scored more runs than Kohli in the shortest format. The 35-year-old is also the all-time leading run-getter in T20Is. Kohli also scripted an unwanted record in his final T20I appearance before the World Cup 2024. The batting icon surpassed Sachin Tendulkar with his 35th duck in international cricket.
‘Kohli should follow his principles’
“So, like you said, the strike rate and all that should be on the back of the mind. If you run after it desperately, it won’t work. If you started swinging from the word go… this is international cricket, you will be lucky to connect once or twice, not always. Virat Kohli should follow his principles of the game. How has he succeeded in international cricket? He has followed his style and done it. I think everybody should stick to their strengths,” Srikkanth added.
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