Does Virat Kohli deserve his place in India’s T20 World Cup XI in 2024? Star batsman under fire after poor start to the tournament

India successfully won their first Super 8 match of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup against Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan, following Suryakumar Yadav’s important half-century and brilliant bowling in the second half of the match. It was a strong performance by the Indian team, except for one point.

Virat Kohli’s abysmal form in the ongoing tournament continued after a disappointing performance against the Afghans.

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After skipper Rohit Sharma’s early wicket, Kohli held the crease with the fiery Rishabh Pant. Pant was dismissed after a 43-run partnership and soon after, Kohli also departed, scoring a run-a-ball innings of 24 runs.

Suryakumar’s quick fifty and Hardik Pandya’s innings later helped India reach a total of 181/8. In response, the bowlers did their job to secure a 47-run win for the men in blue.

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Virat Kohli’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign continues

Kohli was not even able to get his score into double figures in his previous innings in this tournament, a three-match streak that he broke in the match against Afghanistan. Despite getting a start, Kohli failed to capitalize on it. In a mediocre innings of 24, Kohli managed just one six before falling prey to Afghanistan’s lethal captain Rashid Khan.

The star player is yet to cross the 50-point mark in this year’s T20 World Cup campaign, which is a worrying sign for team India ahead of the knockouts and Super 8 match against the mighty Australians on June 24 .

British journalist Lawrence Booth questioned the inclusion of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batsman in the ongoing T20 World Cup as he claimed that Jasprit Bumrah is India’s star this time.

As long as Bumrah remains fit, India will participate in this World Cup. Still not convinced that Virat Kohli is worth his place, mind you.

— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) June 20, 2024

Failure of the opening pair Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli

It is safe to say that the opening pair of Rohit-Kohli has proven to be a major failure in the ongoing tournament for the Indians. Fans were eager to see the pair in action as both are arguably the biggest names in T20 cricket, but it has turned out to be a disaster so far.

The pair’s best partnership in the tournament was against Pakistan, which was 12 runs. Losing an early wicket, especially before the powerplay could prove fatal in the later stages of the tournament. Yashasvi Jaiswal would be the ideal candidate to open if given the opportunity, but then the question arises as to who to bench.

READ MORE: 8 dismissals in 19 innings: Rohit’s dismal record against left-armers in 2024

Should Virat Kohli be on the bench?

It’s fair to say that Kohli has had poor form in the current competition, but dropping him from the playing XI might be a step too far. The veteran batsman was India’s best batsman in the T20 World Cups, scoring over a thousand runs and being the undisputed king of the competition.

Even though he is going through tough times, Kohli has the knack of standing up for the team when it is needed most, especially during T20 World Cups. He has played some match-winning innings for the team in the past and India may need one more as the tournament progresses.