Virat Kohli will score big runs once he gets a decent score in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 match against Australia, said former India cricketer Robin Uthappa.

India and Australia take on each other in a must-win clash at Saint Lucia on Monday. India is at the top of Group One with two wins in two games and have four points. They won their previous game against Bangladesh by 50 runs.

Virat Kohli has scored only 66 runs in five games at an average of 13.20 and a strike rate of 108.19, with the best score of 37. While he has played knocks of 24 and 37 in Super Eights, he had struggled badly in New York.

Virat Kohli is the highest run-getter in T20 World Cup history. He also came into the T20 World Cup on the back of a brilliant performance in IPL 2024, where he scored 741 runs in 15 matches for RCB. His runs came at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, with a century and five fifties and he also won the Orange Cap.  

Uthappa said that a solid knock from Virat before the semifinals can empower India, pointing out that once he gets a "taste of blood", he can do anything.

"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. I want a 65-70 not out. Even if you get a 120-125 strike rate, I do not really care. I want that one solid innings from Virat Kohli. Because once he gets that little taste of blood, That human being can do anything. And for me, before we hit the semifinals, I want him to have that one innings at 150, I want him to get," said Uthappa on R Ashwin’s YouTube channel.

Uthappa also backed skipper Rohit Sharma to continue his aggressive approach and said: "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."

Rohit has scored 99 runs at an average of 24.75 and a strike rate of over 125, with a fifty.

(ANI inputs)