Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, India have finally ended their 11-year-old drought of winning an ICC trophy, as they clinched their second T20 World Cup in 2024, where Virat Kohli earned the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his 59-ball 76-run knock against South Africa, at the Kensington Oval, in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Veteran Pakistan cricket Ahmed Shahzad has lauded Virat Kohli as a legend of this game and feels that no one should compare the former India captain with Babar Azam or any other player around the globe.
Virat Kohli came into the final of the competition, with a few questions and concerns under his belt, having collected only 75 runs in seven innings, at an average of under 11, and a strike rate of exactly 100, with one thirty-plus score against Bangladesh.
‘Virat Kohli is leaving a great legacy in the T20Is’- Ahmed Shahzad
The former Pakistan opener Ahmed Shahzad feels that Virat Kohli is leaving a great legacy for the country in the shortest format of the game, as he wished them good luck in finding a replacement, as the Delhi boy has announced his retirement from the 20-over format, with the end of the 20-over competition.
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For the whole tournament, Kohli has been attentive in being aggressive against the new ball, to help the side get off to a great start, with the bat, which isn’t something that goes with his natural game, but because of the team’s demands, his focus has mainly been on that prospect.
But as the final came, and the need of the hour for India was to respect the conditions, and look to take calculative risks to give their bowlers some target that they could think of defending, is there anyone better than him to understand the magnum and situation of the contest, especially when it’s the final.
The left-arm South Africa pacer Marco Jansen was a bit off-color at the start of the innings, as a few freebies were nailed into the boundary cushion from Kohli, who later looked to rotate the strike only, but didn’t play dots to get pressure on his shoulder. That was quite a masterclass knock of how to design an inning.
When it comes to the T20 World Cup 2024, Virat Kohli ended the ninth edition and his last of the tournament as his worst one, having deposited only 151 runs in eight innings, at an average of under 19, and a strike rate of early 110s. Babar Azam, on the other hand, has smashed 122 runs in four innings, at an average of around 41 but a strike rate of just over 100, as his Pakistan side was knocked out of the group stage of the tournament.
Shahzad expressed his admiration towards a glorifying T20I career of Virat Kohli, who on many occasions has led India over the line in those crunch situations.
‘Virat Kohli is a legend of our generation. Every time he stepped on the field, he played the game with the same enthusiasm. Even in his last T20I, Virat was celebrating at long-on and long-off whenever a wicket fell.’ Shahzad remarked on the report in Abu Dhabi. ‘He did not score runs in the entire T20 World Cup, but when things are written in your destiny, you will get them. He scored runs in the final when nobody else stood up with the bat.’
The 35-year-old has finished his T20I career, being the second-highest run-getter of the format with 4188 runs in 117 innings, at an average of close to 50, and a strike rate of around 140, while Babar has grabbed 4145 runs at an average of 41, and a strike rate of 130.
‘India would never have won the T20 World Cup final without Virat Kohli’s innings.’ The former Pakistan opener concluded. ‘He is leaving a great legacy in the T20Is. Good luck to Indian Cricket trying to fill his massive shoes. No one should compare Babar Azam or any other cricketer to him.’