Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket legend, has been facing relentless criticism for his batting approach and strike rate in the ongoing IPL 2024. Despite being one of the tournament’s leading run-scorers, Kohli has been questioned about his inclusion in India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Following Royal Challengers Bangalore’s victory over Gujarat Titans, Kohli addressed the criticism, stating that he is unfazed by the chatter. However, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull believes Kohli should not be paying attention to social media.
“Why is he bothering? I mean, seriously, the bloke is such a good player. Why is he bothering reading the rubbish that some people write or why are people reading it and telling him? I don’t understand that,” Doull said on Cricbuzz.
Doull questioned why Kohli would engage with social media and use it to justify his actions in post-match interviews. He suggested that Kohli may be reading social media or having someone else read it for him.
Kohli, in his response, emphasized that his priority is winning games for his team, not maintaining a specific strike rate. “For me, it’s about winning the games for the team and there’s a reason why you’ve done it for 15 years, you’ve done this day in and day out, you’ve won games for your teams,” Kohli said.
Doull acknowledged Kohli’s experience but argued that those who have not played at the highest level may not fully understand the challenges involved. He suggested that Kohli should focus on his own game and not be distracted by external noise.
“People can talk about their assumptions day in and day out, but those who have done day in and day out, they know what’s happening and it’s a kind of muscle memory for me now,” Kohli said.
