 "File image of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. PTI")
South African batting legend AB de Villiers has come down heavily on Virat Kohli’s critics, saying that he’s had enough of the chatter surrounding his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team-mate’s strike rate in T20 cricket.
Kohli, who is the leading run-scorer in the 2024 Indian Premier League with 500 runs to his name, was considered an automatic selection in the Indian XI for the upcoming T20 World Cup and his selection in the Indian squad that was announced on Tuesday was a simple formality.
Many a critic and fan, however, has questioned Kohli’s place in the Indian T20I side given concerns around his strike rate that could prove detrimental to the Men in Blue’s interests even if remains a run-machine in the shortest format much like in Tests and ODIs.
Also Read | Virat Kohli slams critics questioning his strike-rate
Reacting to India’s squad announcement for the mega event on Tuesday, former South Africa captain de Villiers reminded fans of Kohli’s legacy as one of the greatest to have played the sport while questioning his critics how many hundreds they had scored at the highest level of the sport.
“Virat Kohli catching criticism about his strike-rate. It’s been going on for way too long, and I am fed up with that now. I am frustrated to say the least. This guy is one of the best to ever play the game of cricket,” de Villiers said in the video posted on his YouTube channel.
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More Shorts“He’s incredible in the IPL. he plays a certain role for RCB and I’ve had pretty much of these data-driven pundits who keep criticising this man when you don’t really have knowledge of the game. How many games of cricket have you played? How many IPL hundreds have you scored?”
“His strike-rate this year has been even better than the record-breaking season which he had (in 2016). I don’t know where this criticism is coming from. He is batting like a dream. All I can say is ‘Virat, keep playing like you are,’” ABD added.
Both Kohli and India skipper Rohit Sharma had stepped away from the T20Is after India’s semi-final exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya leading the Men in Blue in a majority of their fixtures in the absence of the two stalwarts.
Kohli and Rohit were on fire with the bat during last year’s ICC World Cup at home, finishing as the top-two run-scorers in the tournament. That might have been a factor in their return to T20Is during the three-match series against Afghanistan in January, the two icons of Indian cricket making themselves available for selection for the T20 World Cup in the process.
Also Read | India’s T20 World Cup squad: What gaps remain in the 15-member lineup
On the subject of the best batting position for Kohli in the World Cup, de Villiers maintained No 3 remained an ideal position for him which would then allow a left-right opening combination in Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“I have said in the past and I still believe that Virat Kohli is best suited at No. 3. I know he loves to open the batting, but by batting at 3, it will allow Faf du Plessis and Will Jacks to go after the bowling and then allow to monitor the innings accordingly,” de Villiers added.