• Sportzyverse
• T20 World Cup 2024
• 06/24/2024
• 0 Comments

Before clashing with Australia in the rematch of the ICC World Cup 2023 final on Monday, Virat Kohli was riding high on the memory of his stellar performance against the former champions in their previous T20 World Cup encounter. Kohli’s majestic knock of 82 had powered Team India to the semi-finals of the World Cup, eliminating Australia in the process. However, many who expected Kohli to replicate his 2016 heroics against Australia were disappointed.

Hazlewood Silences the Crowd

At the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, the Super 8 clash took a dramatic turn when Australian pace ace Josh Hazlewood dealt a significant blow to India’s aspirations. In the second over, he dismissed Kohli for a duck, marking India’s first setback of the match. This dismissal marked Kohli’s second duck of the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup and saw him equal a record set by former India pacer Ashish Nehra.

Five ball duck for Virat Kohli. pic.twitter.com/HdcwPgCjLN

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 24, 2024

Kohli’s five-ball duck in the must-win clash against Australia mirrored his first golden duck at the T20 World Cup, which occurred during India’s match against the United States of America (USA). This unfortunate pair of ducks placed Kohli alongside Ashish Nehra as the only Indian cricketer to have recorded two ducks in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. Nehra’s unwanted record was set during the 2010 edition of the tournament.

Continued Struggles as an Opener

Despite being assigned the role of an opener for the ICC event, veteran batter Kohli has been grappling to find his form. His tally stands at a mere 66 runs in six innings for the 2007 winners at the T20 World Cup 2024. With an average of 11.00 and a strike rate of 100, Kohli’s highest score in the tournament was 37 (28) against Bangladesh. The batting icon failed to cross the double-digit mark in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies.

Kohli’s continued struggles have cast a shadow over India’s campaign, as fans and critics alike question the decision to use him as an opener. As the tournament progresses, the team will need to reassess its strategies to reignite Kohli’s form and bolster their chances of advancing in the competition.