Talking to Star Sports ahead of India’s clash with Pakistan, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif claimed that Virat Kohli was a "danger" to every team in the T20 World Cup 2024 but he also has to tone down his aggression to score big.
"Forget Pakistan, Virat Kohli is a danger for every team. Any team that plays against him won't find it that easy to get him out. However, I feel he will have to tone down his aggression a little,” Kaif stated.
Kohli could only score one run off five balls in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland and faced backlash from fans and experts.
The former Indian cricketer also described Kohli’s role in the team and it is to bat 15-20 overs and score 60-70 runs for his team.
"He is able to play every shot but I feel he needs to tone down his strike rate slightly. Go at a strike rate of around 130 and don't run close to 140-150. His role will be to bat 15 to 20 overs and score 60-70 runs. 70 runs from Virat Kohli's bat will be a very good knock. Take a little time at the start, wait for the bad balls, and then play your shots," Kaif added.
Kohli has been scoring big recently including the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2024 edition, where he added 741 runs to his tally and became the first batter in the league to score 8,000 runs.
"Virat Kohli has form and is coming after playing exceptionally well in the IPL. He scored close to 700 runs. We saw the domination where he was attacking in the powerplay and hitting boundaries, playing slog sweeps, and hitting sixes against spin," Kaif added.
Virat Kohli will be a part of the Indian team that will clash with their arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
- Virat Kohli
