Cricket, a sport that has captivated millions worldwide, is often a stage where records are made and broken. The recent T20 World Cup 2024 has been no exception, with the spotlight on two of the game’s finest batsmen – Virat Kohli and Babar Azam.
Babar Azam, the Pakistan skipper, surpassed Virat Kohli’s tally for most runs in men’s T20Is during the group stage of the tournament. This achievement has sparked discussions among cricket enthusiasts and experts alike. However, Harbhajan Singh, the World Cup-winning former India spinner, has offered a unique perspective on this matter.
Harbhajan Singh comments on Virat Kohli’s approach
Harbhajan opines that Kohli, known for his aggressive batting and competitive spirit, is not the kind of player who will be overly concerned about statistics. He believes that Kohli’s focus would be more on his performance and contribution to the team rather than on reclaiming the top spot in the T20I batting charts.
“I am not sure if he is checking all these records that Babar has gone ahead of him. But, one thing is sure. He must be itching to get big runs under his belt before he gets to the next round which will be played in the Caribbean,” Harbhajan Singh told Star Sports.
“There the matches will be played on better pitches. Virat Kohli, obviously, must be thinking how to get runs under his belt. Knowing the champion that he is, he will be doing all the hard work to get those runs for India. He will just focus on the first 10 balls. If he bats for 10 balls, then we know what Virat Kohli can do,” he added.
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Kohli, who entered the T20 World Cup 2024 on the back of a fantastic IPL season, has had a slow start in the tournament, registering low scores in the initial matches. Despite this, Harbhajan asserts that Kohli, being the champion that he is, must be itching to get big runs under his belt. He suggests that Kohli’s primary focus would be on the first 10 balls he faces. If he can negotiate these, then the world knows what Virat Kohli can do.
However, it’s worth noting that Kohli is just 71 runs behind Babar Azam, who leads the batting charts with 4113 runs in 122 matches. Kohli, having played three T20Is less than Babar, has a better average and strike rate than the Pakistan captain in the shortest format.
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