"There is no chance" - Ravichandran Ashwin feels Virat Kohli's confidence won't take a hit if asked to bat at No. 3 in 2024 T20 World Cup
Ravichandran Ashwin believes that Virat Kohli's confidence won't be dented if the team management demotes him to the No. 3 spot in the batting order for the Super 8 phase of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Kohli opened the innings in the group stage, and registered scores of 1,4 and 0.
Ashwin mentioned that if Kohli is asked to change his batting position, he would play with an attitude of proving his naysayers wrong.
Speaking about the ace batter's mindset, here's what the veteran off-spinner stated on his YouTube channel:
"There is no chance for a player like Virat Kohli to damage his confidence. He will say, 'you brought me down to number 3, I will show you who I am.'. That's how he will bat, first of all. I am saying this because I know him."
In the same video, former cricketer Robin Uthappa also pointed out that despite the recent failures, Kohli's body language has looked very confident. Suggesting that the seasoned campaigner has a great understanding of his game, he said:
"Virat Kohli's physiology, after the previous match, I saw a glimpse of it. Maybe five eseconds. Him interacting with some of the players and talking to the support staff. When you see his physiology, you can tell that man is exuding supreme confidence. And that comes from a place of knowing about his own game and the confidence in his own ability. So, he knows that this is just a blip in the radar."
Robin Uthappa backed Kohli to turn things around in the Super 8 stage. He opined that the 35-year-old has a great chance of getting some big runs under his belt, given his experience of playing in West Indies.
He added:
"It's not a matter of if he will score runs in the T20 World Cup. For me, it's about when he is going to run. And the West Indian conditions, I think, because it's even more familiar for him. He will feel even more confident about scoring runs there. And he has scored runs there by the buckets in the past. So, I have a feeling that he will come through in the Super 8s. And it will give the Indian team an opportunity to bring in someone like Kuldeep Yadav at some point."
While Virat Kohli is yet to fire with the bat at the 2024 T20 World Cup, he looked in great touch at this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). He was the Orange Cap winner, chalking up 741 runs in 15 innings.
"If you go man-to-man, no chance" - Robin Uthappa on India's 2024 T20 World Cup clash vs Afghanistan
India and Afghanistan are set to lock horns at Kensington Oval im Bridgetown, Barbados, in the Super 8 stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The game will be played on Thursday, June 20.
Robin Uthappa remarked that while anything can happen in the T20 format, India are way ahead when it comes to man-to-man matchups against Afghanistan. He remarked:
"Can they beat India? Can they beat India? I think anyone can beat anyone in a T20 game. Having said that, if you go man-to-man, no chance. There is no chance that Afghanistan stands a chance even man-to-man."
Uthappa, however, backed Afghanistan to clinch a few victories in the Super 8 round of the T20 World Cup, adding:
"Well, I think, they are a very good side. They just got pummeled by West Indies. So, they have got that one law of averages defeat already. I think they can be a dangerous side in the Super 8s. I think they will win a few games."
Afghanistan won three out of their four group-stage matches of the 2024 T20 World Cup and finished in the second position in Group C. They completed a comprehensive 84-run win over New Zealand, which would have done wonders for their confidence.