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[Saba Sports News] The 35-year-old batting stalwart has struggled in the tournament, failing to score 50+ in any match so far. In the semi-final against England, Kohli was dismissed for a run-a-ball 9 while trying to play aggressively, a strategy India has consistently followed in the World Cup.
Kohli’s poor form is a concern for India ahead of the final, and former England captain Mike Atherton has suggested a potential reason for his struggles. Atherton believes the challenging opening leg of the tournament in New York, which had sluggish surfaces, has affected Kohli’s performance, leading to a lack of runs in the Caribbean.
“At the top of the order, it has not gone smoothly. Virat Kohli has been very short of runs. He is a class player, obviously, and they are going to stick with him, but he hasn’t been firing. But that can be said for South Africa as well. Both of these teams played 3-4 games in New York at the start, the pitch was the most up and down of them all. That consequence has played out in the Super Eight, where none of the top-order batters are absolutely prime nick,” Atherton told Sky Sports.
Kohli scored a combined total of 5 runs in three group stage innings, with the match against Canada being washed out without a ball being bowled.
Despite Kohli’s struggles, India has impressed in the tournament, with other players stepping up. Captain Rohit Sharma has scored two consecutive fifties in the Super Eight match against Australia and the semi-final against England.
Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya have also contributed vital runs in the middle-order, helping India reach strong scores throughout the tournament.