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Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar took a dig at Virat Kohli's innings during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa saying that the 35-year-old's knock could have put the Rohit Sharma-led side in trouble.
The Men in Blue got hold of the prestigious T20 WC trophy for the second time, defeating South Africa by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday. Kohli announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game after winning the T20 World Cup final. "By playing that innings, Hardik Pandya, one of their most devastating batters, had just two balls to face. So I thought India's batting was good, but Virat Kohli had potentially played an innings that would've put India in a tight corner. And it almost proved to be that, before these guys' bowlers came in the end," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo. The 58-year-old further stated that team India were in a losing position but brilliant bowling changed the game and saved the former India skipper from being criticised for playing at a strike rate of 128. "India were in a losing position, 90 per cent winning chances (for South Africa). The complete turnaround actually saved Virat Kohli's innings because he played virtually half the innings with a strike-rate of 128. My Player of the Match would've been a bowler because they actually took the game from the jaws of defeat and won it for India," the commentator added. After managing just 75 runs in the first seven innings of the competition, Virat stepped up when it mattered the most, scoring 76 in 59 balls, with six fours and two sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 128.81. Virat ended the edition with 151 runs in eight innings at an average of 18.87 and a strike rate of 112.68, with one fifty. In 35 T20 World Cup matches, Virat has scored 1,292 runs at an average of 58.72 and a strike rate of 128.81, with 15 half-centuries. His best score is 89*. He is the highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament. In 125 T20I matches, Virat scored 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04. He scored a century and 38 fifties and a best score of 122*. He ended the format as the second-highest run-getter of all time. (ANI)
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