Matthew Hayden Silences Critics: “Just Leave Virat Kohli Alone”

Despite lackluster performances in the group stage, Virat Kohli is expected to shine in the knockout rounds as India aims for its second ICC T20 World Cup title in the Caribbean. Australian legend Matthew Hayden has shown faith in Kohli, noting that the star batter faced challenging conditions during the initial phase of the ICC event. Hayden believes Kohli will deliver for India in the crucial Caribbean leg of the tournament.

India, champions of the 2007 edition, topped Group A to advance to the Super 8 stage. Rohit Sharma’s squad defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, surprise package Ireland, and co-hosts USA. Kohli, however, had a disappointing run, scoring one against Ireland, four against Pakistan, and a duck against the USA. This included his first-ever golden duck in a T20 World Cup.

In a Star Sports Press Room discussion about the Super 8, Hayden emphasized that Kohli remains a world-class player regardless of conditions. “These Caribbean venues require strategic batting and realistic target setting,” Hayden explained. “Outside of St. Lucia, par scores range from 160-170. With his vast experience, Virat will know how to approach each game, like using the wind to his advantage when facing spin. Despite tough conditions so far, Virat is in a good mental space. Everyone wants to see great players like him perform freely, and his experience will be crucial.”

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Kohli entered the T20 World Cup in top form after dominating the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, where he won the Orange Cap by scoring 741 runs. Despite accumulating only five runs in the T20 World Cup group stage, Hayden advocates for Kohli to continue opening the innings for India.

“During the IPL, I argued that Kohli should open if he’s in the team. Batting him at three doesn’t maximize his potential. These wickets don’t allow for easy high-scoring; they require thoughtful batting. Kohli will face the same challenges as David Warner did on tough wickets,” Hayden said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Babar Azam surpassed Kohli to become the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals. Babar has 4,145 runs in 116 innings, while Kohli has 4,042 runs in 120 matches, including one century and 37 fifties. India will face Afghanistan in Barbados on Thursday.