Former national selection committee chairman MSK Prasad said star batsman Virat Kohli will give a great performance in the final of the ICC World Test Championship against Australia as his form and mood are in a good place. India will aim to clinch the ICC World Test Championship as they close the horns with Aussies from June 7 at The Oval. Virat will undoubtedly be one of India’s key players in the quest for the country’s first major ICC title since 2013.
In an interview with ANI, Prasad spoke about India’s chances in the final, the form of senior players like Virat Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara and the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane in the team.
Prasad said that Virat has set a high standard for himself, making his fans expect too much from him.
“He didn’t have a great 2021-2022 season. But that’s because we expect a lot from him. He’s set the bar very high for himself. He has to score hundreds in every game or it’s a failure. But he’s human after all Pressure from the captaincy bothered him for a while, but once he found his rhythm and clarity he hasn’t looked back, he’s been in great form since last year’s Asia Cup and has made ages in all formats .He must have in mind that India has not won an ICC tournament for many years and he must be motivated to give his best to help India win.With his form, mood in a good place and his seniority of more than 100 Tests, I am sure he will perform in the WTC final,” Prasad told ANI.
After 2021 and the first half of 2022, which went against Virat’s mammoth standards, the star batsman began his redemption arc of Asia Cup 2022. Virat took a break from the sport for more than a month before the tournament. In the tournament, he scored his long-awaited 71st century after more than three years. He finished the tournament as the second-highest point scorer. He scored 276 runs in five games at an average of 92.00 in five games, with a century and two fifties.
In the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup later that year, Virat played the best innings of his life, scoring 82* against Pakistan in a thrilling chase at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He finished the tournament as the leading points scorer, scoring 296 points in six games at an average of 98.67 and a strike rate of 136.41. He scored four fifties, with a best score of 82*.
Kohli started the year 2023 with an ODI century against Sri Lanka. He continued his brilliant performances in major events, as the second highest points scorer and highest points scorer for India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. In four games, he scored 297 points at an average of 49.50, with a best score of 186.
Virat had a great IPL 2023 season, in 14 matches of IPL 2023 he scored 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of over 139. He scored two centuries and six fifties this season, with a best score of 101 *. He is the third-highest points scorer in the league to date.
In international cricket in 2022, he has so far scored 724 runs in 13 matches, 15 innings at an average of 51.71. He has scored three centuries and a half, with the best score of 186.
Since returning to the sport at the 2022 Asia Cup, Virat has scored 1,596 runs in 38 innings, including five centuries and eight fifties. His runs have averaged 53.20.
India selection for WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar and Suryakumar Yadav have been designated as standby players for the high-stakes match.
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