File photo of Virat Kohli.© AFP
Premier Indian batter Virat Kohli is having a poor season of T20 World Cup. The veteran got out for a golden duck against United States on Wednesday, extending his poor run after being promoted as an opener in the mega-event. Kohli scored 1 against Ireland in Team India’s campaign opener before getting dismissed for 4 against Pakistan. In the third game for India, Kohli was caught behing for a golden duck, his first in the history of an ICC tournament.
When asked about the senior batter’s lack of form, his teammate Shivam Dube was quite positive while assessing the veteran’s form.
“There is nothing I can say about Virat Kohli because I’m not Virat Kohli,” said Dube as quoted by PTI.
“His bad patch means he got out cheaply a couple of times but will come back scoring hundreds in the next three matches. We all know his game and how he plays,” Dube added.
Accustomed to batting on belters in India, big-hitting all-rounder Shivam Dube conceded that the two-paced tracks for the T20 World Cup matches in New York left him bamboozled to such an extent that it almost felt like playing a Ranji Trophy game.
The Chennai Super Kings star regained some form with a 35-ball 31 in the seven-wicket win over a fighting USA team that propelled India into the event’s Super Eight stage on Wednesday. The World Cup would move entirely to the West Indies with the Super Eight games.
“I was struggling with my form and focusing on my process,” Dube said about his successive failures against Ireland and Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
“But here, there was no pressure. All the support staff and coaches backed me and told me, ‘It’s difficult, but you have the ability to hit sixes, so apply it.’
“I’ve never doubted myself for what I’ve done in the past. I just think that these conditions do not demand what I’ve done at CSK. These conditions require a different approach, so I was batting differently today,” he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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