The former India batter Robin Uthappa feels Virat Kohli would be the one whom India would shoulder against Australia in their last game of the ‘super eight’ stage in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, with two victories in this round, they have almost kept one leg into the semis.
The 2007 champions were unbeaten in the group stage of the competition, with wins over Ireland, USA, and Pakistan, while their game over Canada was washed out due to rain. In Barbados and Antigua, they got the better of Afghanistan and Bangladesh quite comprehensively, respectively.
Australia, too was unbeaten in the group stage of the competition, with hardly any fight over England, Scotland, Namibia, and Oman. Once they reached the ‘super-eight’ stage of the event, they blew away Bangladesh, but couldn’t handle the Rashid Khan-led side in Kingstown, as they found themselves in a tricky situation, of winning and getting the qualification.
‘Even if you get 12-125 strike rate, I don’t really care’- Robin Uthappa
The former India opener Robin Uthappa feels that the aim for Kohli in the Australia game would be to stay there in the middle, as long as he could, and not look to take any wrong chance in the encounter.
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‘What can empower Team India to have the best team possible? I think one is to get a solid Virat Kohli innings from him, especially looking at the whole tournament’s perspective.’ The former wicket-keeper Robin Uthappa expressed in a chat on the YouTube channel of Ravichandran Ashwin. ‘I want a 65-70 not out. Even if you get 120-125 strike rate, I don’t really care.’
Kohli has struggled so far in the ninth edition of the tournament, with group stage scores of 1,4 and 0, while he could manage a 24-ball 24-run knock in Barbados, while he looked to get back in form slowly in Antigua.
Robin Uthappa is looking for that ‘one solid innings’ from Kohli, and before the semi-final, this would be the best stage, and this is the exact opponent he would hope for.
‘I want that one solid innings from Virat Kohli. Because once he gets that little bit of that taste of blood, That human being can do anything.’ The veteran Robin Uthappa said in the same chat. ‘And for me, before we hit the semifinals, I want him to have that one innings at 150, I want him to get.’
In their last game, India showed the new aggressive approach in the team, where every batter went with an aggressive mindset from the start of the innings, and it was their captain Rohit Sharma, who put the platform for a gorgeous knock of 23 runs in 11 balls, which generated the momentum for the side.
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The Karnataka-born batter also praises Rohit Sharma for his aggressive mindset and backed him to do the same for the rest of the T20 World Cup 2024.
‘Rohit is very clear with the way he approaches his batting. I think he should continue to play the way he feels and believes that is the best way he will serve the team.’ The 38-year-old Robin Uthappa elaborated.
India will take on Australia in their last game of the ‘super eight’ stage on June 24, at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, in St Lucia. A win means they will face England in the second semifinal at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.