After the IPL 2024, Virat Kohli is set to feature in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, slated to be held in the West Indies and USA from June 1 to June 29.
Initially, there were doubts about Kohli's selection for the squad, as reports suggested that selectors were unhappy with his approach in the shortest format.
However, Kohli once again proved his worth, shutting down critics with remarkable performances in the ongoing IPL. The RCB star is leading the chart of top run-scorers, having amassed 708 runs in 14 innings at an average of 64.36 and a strike rate of 155.60, including one hundred and five half-centuries.
With the fast-approaching T20 World Cup, Australian legend Ricky Ponting has expressed his shock about Indians trying to "find reasons" not to select Virat Kohli, saying that the latter would be his "first pick" for the showpiece tournament in the Americas.
"He (Kohli) is the first pick for me for India. So, class and experience like that, you can't replace,” Ponting told ICC.
"It's funny with Virat. I think people in India just always try to find a reason not to pick him or a reason why he's maybe not as good as some of these other guys in the T20 game," he added.
According to Ponting, Kohli should open the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma at the T20 World Cup 2024 as players like Suryakumar Yadav and others can produce fireworks towards the end of the innings.
"They (selectors) have still got a decision to make (on the opening pair) because (Yashasvi) Jaiswal is in that squad and one thing they haven't got a lot in their team is left-hand batters. So they've got a decision to make with Jaiswal (batting position), but I'm pretty sure that they'll go with Kohli and Rohit Sharma (as openers)," Ponting said.
"He can play his role at the top. And if you've got the right guys around him scoring (like) Suryakumar (Yadav)... Rohit Sharma's going to have a high strike rate. These other guys can go in there and play their way."
During some matches of the IPL 2024, Kohli’s strike-rate became a topic of debate with many criticizing him for being slow after the powerplay overs.
Ponting stated that while strike rates may have surpassed averages recently, Kohli's value to the Indian squad should never be underestimated.
"The mantra I think for the teams three or four years ago, was making sure that someone at the top of the order made 80 or 100, even if it took them 60 balls, it didn't really matter.
"I think it's sort of shifting now to be more of a strike rate based game where you can have a massive impact on a game with a 40 off 15 balls rather than getting an 80 off 55 balls sort of thing," he remarked.
Virat Kohli was the leading run-getter in the 2022 edition of T20 World Cup. He scored four half-centuries in six innings, including a match-winning 82* against arch-rivals Pakistan.
"I remember having this chat and some other chats I did for the ICC about there's some talk about Virat not being in their team only last year, but what happened when the big games come around, he was one of the guys who got the job done," Ponting said.
(With PTI Inputs)
