Virat Kohli in the T20 team for 2024 WC? Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar gives thumbs up to it

New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) Former Indian cricketer and batting coach Sanjay Bangar made a vociferous pitch for Virat Kohli to play next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and US from June 4 to 30.

“Hundred per cent he should be there in the T20 team. What he did in the previous T20 World Cup and in those close matches, I don’t see the reason why he can’t be seen playing T20 cricket and next year’s T20 World Cup,” Bangar told a YouTube channel ‘Cricket Basu’.

“You know that in big situations where emotions run high, one small mistake could cost you dear. You need big players who have gone through those situations. At that point, it doesn’t really matter what your strike-rate is, or what you have done in the IPL, in big games you require big match players. He (Kohli) showed such spirit in the India-Pakistan game,” Bangar said.

Former Railways captain and all-rounder Bangar also made it clear that batting at the highest level isn’t about scoring fours and sixes only. It is also about scoring ones and twos that gives Kohli an edge over generations of cricketers.

“Everyone has a style of scoring and it doesn’t mean that only big hitters can win a game. If that would have been the case, the West Indies team would have won all the T20 World Cups. Virat Kohli is such a batsman who can score a hundred without hitting a six. And he has done that. Against Gujarat Titans, he didn’t score a single six and yet scored a century. All his shots were grounded and that speaks volumes about Virat Kohli,” he explained.

Bangar then went on to say that Virat is a legend of the game and people relate to him in a particular way because of his stature.

“Virat has taken inspiration from a generation of cricketers like Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. He is a pioneer. He has redefined fitness standards and aggression on the field. Being in Australia and beating them in their backyard was quite an achievement for the team under Virat Kohli. His style of captaincy of fighting for every inch and coupled with his batting prowess made him a very special cricketer.

"Everything clicked. Our bowling also clicked during that phase. The bulk of runs were scored by Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. That time the Indian team did special things under Virat’s captaincy,” Bangar said while referring to the golden period of Indian cricket in Test matches, wherein the team was ranked number-one in ICC ratings.

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