"Some wickets you play on, your strike rate doesn't need to be high"- Steve Smith backs Virat Kohli to play T20 World Cup for India
Star Australia batter Steve Smith reckons there shouldn't be any doubts about Indian veteran Virat Kohli's participation in the T20 World Cup, to be held in the West Indies and the USA in June this year.
A few recent reports have claimed Kohli's spot for the T20 World Cup was not confirmed yet because of his strike rate. However, Smith believes that the legendary Indian batter plays to the situation and has proven several times that he knows how to win games.
Speaking on Star Sports, here's what Steve Smith had to say about Virat Kohli:
"He plays the situation. Some wickets you play on, your strike rate doesn't need to be high. We've seen Virat play some masterclass innings and get his team over the line, whether it is for RCB or for India. I've been in the opposition and he has done it against us on numerous occasions."
Virat Kohli's 82* against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 remains one of the greatest knocks in T20Is given how he turned the game on its head. That innings is the perfect example of Smith's explanation of Kohli's ability to adapt to the situation.
Virat Kohli loves playing under pressure: Steve Smith
Steve Smith reckons India will look for players in their T20 World Cup squad who know how to deliver on the big stage. He feels that the Men in Blue might not afford to lose Virat Kohli's experience of performing at such big ICC events. On this, Smith stated:
"He (Kohli) plays extremely well under pressure. He loves that. It is such players that you want in your team when you go to the World Cup and face pressure situations. You want the experienced players who stand up in those situations and Virat is certainly one of those."
Kohli made his T20I comeback earlier this year against Afghanistan. While he has been out of action for more than two months due to personal reasons, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star would be hungry for big runs in the IPL 2024 season.