"There's an enormous amount of pressure on someone like Virat" - Mark Waugh sympathizes with star batter and backs him to shine in 2022 World Cup
Former Australian opening batter Mark Waugh reckons India's star batter Virat Kohli is a world-class player and sympathized with him for carrying enormous pressure. Waugh thinks it's normal for the right-handed batter to undergo lean patches like everyone else, but earmarks him to do well in the World Cup.
Until the 2022 Asia Cup, Kohli's form with the bat kept fluctuating for almost three years. The former Indian captain struggled to cross three figures in international cricket, which he otherwise did easily.
India's final game of the 2022 Asia Cup against Afghanistan was the first time Kohli scored a ton since November 2019.
The milestone we'd all been waiting for and here it is!
71st International Century for @imVkohli 🔥💥
#AsiaCup2022 #INDvAFG
https://t.co/hnjA953zg9
When asked whether the Delhi batter's rough patch surprised him, Waugh opined that fans expect him to perform well in every game; hence, the pressure is enormous.
Thus, the Aussie understands Kohli's plight and expects him to shine in the upcoming T20 World Cup. He told Telegraph India:
"Look, Virat is a great player and the expectations are very high on him. If he doesn't make a whole lot of runs, people start to question his performance and his place in the team.
"But let's face it... There's an enormous amount of pressure on someone like Virat with people following every move he makes. It's impossible for any batsman to make runs every day and every innings."
He added:
"So you are going to have those periods when he will have a drop in form. So he is like everyone else in this regard. But I still think he is one of the best players in world cricket and will be pumped up to do well in this World Cup."
Waugh backed Kohli to build on the hundred against Afghanistan and continued:
"Yeah, I do. That hundred against Afghanistan, though not against the strongest bowling line-up, will still give him a lot of confidence going into the World Cup. Knowing him, he will be very well prepared and hungry to put in another superlative performance."
It's worth noting that the Delhi-born player won the Player of the Tournament awards in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cup editions. The right-handed batter scored 319 runs in six games in 2014 at 106.33 and 273 runs in five fixtures four years later at 136.50.
He will be keen to deliver another superlative performance to help the Men in Blue clinch the title.
"A great player in one era would be a great player in any era" - Mark Waugh on Virat Kohli
When asked where he would place Kohli among the all-time greats, Waugh said he remains an elite batter regardless of the era.
He said:
"Along with the best players. A great player in one era would be a great player in any era. It's unfair to compare them. I have played against Sachin Tendulkar and think he and Brian Lara were the two greatest in my era. I have great respect for them. Similarly, Sachin and Virat are top class... elite players."
FIFTY for @imVkohli 👏👏
His 33rd in T20Is.
Live - bit.ly/INDvAUS-3RDT20I #INDvAUS
@mastercardindia https://t.co/zuqfc1xvbb
After shining in the third T20I against Australia in Hyderabad against Sunday, the veteran will turn his attention to South Africa. The Men in Blue will face the Proteas in three T20s, starting on Wednesday (September 28).