Virat Kohli has registered scores of 1 and 4 in the ongoing T20 World Cup so far.
The Men in Blue will next face tournament co-hosts USA at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Wednesday (June 12).
Ahead of the match, former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has advised India’s star batter Virat Kohli to opt for a slightly conservative approach on tough wickets in New York.
Kohli, who entered into the global showpiece tournament on the back of a fantastic IPL 2024 season, has failed to make a mark so far. The right-hander has registered scores of 1 and 4 against Ireland and Pakistan while opening the innings for India. He was dismissed both times while playing aggressively.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said while Kohli has adapted his game in response to criticism regarding his supposedly low strike-rate, the "old Virat" would have performed better on New York's two-paced pitches, where batters have found it really difficult to score runs.
"The problem with Virat Kohli is that there has been a lot of talk about his strike rate over the last two years, and he completely changed that during this IPL season. His strike rate had reached 150, although others had almost 200, but that is a different topic. He probably must have come to the T20 World Cup with that same mindset, but given the pitches, the old Virat Kohli would have been much better," said Manjrekar.
"So, I feel someone should tell him to bring back that earlier version of himself and then change again when the pitches become flat," he added.
Virat Kohli, the highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup history, will look to make amends against the USA in New York, before the Indian team will move to Florida to play Canada in their last group-stage fixture.
(With ANI inputs)