"It is yet to be seen if this will be the last IPL or the last World Cup for them" - Shoaib Akhtar expects pressure on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar believes there will be pressure on Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and batter Virat Kohli heading into the 2022 T20 World Cup. The two ace batters have been well short of runs in the recent past and are desperately on the lookout for a surge in form.
In the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Virat Kohli scored 341 runs at an average of 22.73. Barring a half-century in the franchise's final league encounter, the former captain did not have much to show for across the tournament.
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Rohit Sharma also suffered a brutal IPL campaign with the bat in Mumbai Indians' 10th place finish in the points table. The franchise captain recorded only 268 runs at an average of 19.14, which is his poorest across 15 seasons.
Noting that the pressure to perform increases as the player heads into his twilight years, Akhtar said in an interaction with Harbhajan Singh on Sportskeeda:
"It is yet to be seen if this will be the last IPL or the last World Cup for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma but, there will be pressure on them to maintain their form. In the latter part of the career, the pressure keeps on mounting. For instance, Sachin was constantly asked about being unable to score a hundred."
Harbhajan Singh believes the duo will be on the lookout to make a mark at the T20 World Cup in Australia. Acknowledging Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's poor patch with the bat, the former India off-spinner said:
"They did not have a good IPL season. They will be hoping that they lead the team to a win in the T20 World Cup. With the next generation coming up, it can't be said for certain which player will get opportunities."
The Men In Blue have a slew of T20 matches against South Africa, West Indies, Ireland, England in a bid to prepare for the tournament. However, senior players including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rested for the T20I series at home against the Proteas. The five-match series is set to commence on June 9 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
"It is my wish that Kohli scores 110 centuries and keeps his goals big" - Shoaib Akhtar
Virat Kohli's quest for his 71st International hundred nears three years. The former captain last scored a ton in India's maiden pink-ball Test at home against Bangladesh in November, 2019. Since then, while contributing with the bat in patches, he has never been significantly close to the three-figure mark.
Virat Kohli was the first Indian to score hundred in pink ball Test and he is also the first Indian to score fifty in pink ball Test in overseas.
Hoping to see the ace batter break Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries by the time he retires, Akhtar said:
"In the final stages of your career, it becomes inevitable or your responsibility to perform in every match. There are a lot of expectations on them. God knows what is going to happen to Kohli, but it is my wish that he scores 110 centuries and keep his goals big. But at the moment, his confidence and morale must have come down. The only way it will increase, is by performing for India."
The Delhi-born player has recorded 27 hundreds in Test cricket and 43 in the ODI format across his illustrious career.