Aiden Markram, South Africa captain, talked about his bowling plans for India’s star batter Virat Kohli ahead of the big final of the T20 World Cup 2024. India and South Africa will clash for the trophy on June 29 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
This is the second time South Africa has qualified for an ICC event final after the 1998 Knockout Trophy and their first time in the summit clash of the T20 World Cup.
South Africa skipper Aiden Markram remained tight-lipped about his team’s approach against great Indian batsman Virat Kohli before of the thrilling match. India, looking to break its ICC trophy drought since 2013, will face South Africa, who created history by reaching their first World Cup final, whether in 50-over or 20-over format. South Africa will hope to make this milestone even more memorable by winning the title.
Kohli, who had a successful season with the RCB in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), earning the Orange Cap with 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, has struggled to recreate his performance in the T20 World Cup.
Markram acknowledged Kohli’s prowess but dismissed concerns about the Indian star’s recent lack of form in the tournament.
“It’s come to the big final, and we all know what a player he has been. So any bit of plan and are you worried about the fact that he has not scored runs in the tournament? I mean, I don’t think it worries me,” Markram stated, addressing the media ahead of the final.
“He’s a great player”- Aiden Markram on Virat Kohli
Despite coming into the T20 World Cup with bags of runs to his name, Virat Kohli has struggled in the tournament. Kohli has managed only 75 runs at an average of 10.71 in seven matches during the ongoing tournament. He averages 10.71 and has a strike rate of 100.
Kohli’s performance has been disappointing. He has two ducks and only two double-figure scores in seven matches, highlighting a stark contrast to his IPL success.
Markram went on to say how much he admires Kohli’s ability and how strong the Indian batting order is.
“He’s a great player as we all know, but they’ve got their whole batting unit full of great players. Cricket’s a game of ups and downs. You’re not always going to do well, especially as a batter. We just do our planning, do our preparation from a meeting’s point of view for planning towards those batters. Hopefully, on the day we can get that right,” he added.
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