Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden has reignited the debate over Virat Kohli’s batting position, particularly in the context of the upcoming T20 World Cup. Hayden’s comments came in the wake of former India captain Sunil Gavaskar’s criticism of Kohli’s explosive response to critics questioning his scoring rate in IPL 2024.
Kohli played a scintillating performance against Gujarat Titans, where he scored an unbeaten 70 off 44 balls, including a blistering display against spinners. Kohli’s response to criticism regarding his scoring intent in the middle overs has sparked intense debate within the cricketing fraternity.
In evaluating Kohli’s potential role as an opener for India in the T20 World Cup, Hayden emphasized the significant improvement in Kohli’s strike rate over the past four IPL seasons. “That strike rate is trending in the right direction, it’s trending up,” Hayden commented on Star Sports. “So 150 for me is kind of that sweet spot that starts in and everyone having conversation well where you bat? Is it three, is it open? You know those first six overs, it doesn’t matter if Kohli is in those first six overs. You know that there’s going to be fireworks.”
Hayden highlighted Kohli’s adaptability and aggressive approach regardless of his batting position, particularly in the context of the explosive nature of the first six overs in T20 cricket. He expressed confidence in Kohli’s ability to deliver fireworks irrespective of where he bats in the lineup.
Reflecting on the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies, Hayden emphasized the favorable batting conditions and Kohli’s proficiency in capitalizing on such surfaces. He cited Kohli’s outstanding record as an opener in T20Is, including his sensational century in the Asia Cup last year, as evidence of his capability to excel in the role.
However, Hayden also acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the conditions in New York, one of the venues for the T20 World Cup, while expressing confidence in Kohli’s adaptability and the firepower of India’s batting lineup. “They’re not so sure about those conditions in New York. I’ve seen that overlaid venue and it looks magnificent. But certainly through the West Indies, they’re going to be benign conditions and Kohli is going to come in and look to strike away knowing that he has a superb batting side that also has a great strike rate,” Hayden added.
