Virat Kohli was named in the Indian T20 World Cup 2024 squad by the BCCI on May 1, ending speculations on his selection. However, questions about the batting great have now shifted to whether he should open, play aggressively, be the sheet anchor, and so on.
Virat has been opening for his IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru for some time, and while doing so this season, he has already scored 500 runs, including a century and four fifties, at a strike rate of 147.49, putting him second on the list of top run-getters in IPL 2024.
That provides India another option for an opening batsman in the T20 World Cup, in addition to Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, many believe Virat can serve as a calming pillar in India’s batting lineup on pitches that are projected to be much slower than the flat tracks used in this IPL.
“No such thing as an anchor in T20s” – Tom Moody wants Virat Kohli to show intent
However, former Australia allrounder Tom Moody disagrees, as he believes there is “no such thing as an anchor in T20s”.
“The term is wrong. There is no such thing as an anchor in T20s. He (Kohli) needs to dictate the terms. He’s got many gears. He needs to work through those. He’s smart enough and experienced enough to adjust to 11-an-over or 9-an-over required rate,” said Moody on Star Sports.
Kohli had batted at no.3 for India in T20Is throughout his career and has played some sublime, match-winning knocks. This includes the 82 against Australia in Mohali during the 2016 T20 World Cup and a majestic 82 not out against Pakistan in Melbourne during their 2022 T20 World Cup match.
Former India pacer Irfan Pathan has predicted that Kohli will have a major impact on the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“Jab waqt aata hai, yehi player akela khada hota hai, Virat Kohli (when it’s required, he is the player who stands alone). Believe me, there will be a point during the T20 World Cup when there will be need, and the guy you will find chasing it till the end will be him, Virat Kohli,” Irfan added.
India, who are grouped with Pakistan, Ireland, the United States, and Canada, will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York, followed by a crucial encounter against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue.