Coach Dravid and Captain Rohit Express Confidence in Kohli's Impending Redemption
In the heart of Guyana's capital, Georgetown, India's head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma have rallied behind the struggling Virat Kohli, expressing unwavering belief in his imminent resurgence. They emphasized Kohli's unwavering determination and predicted a significant performance in the upcoming T20 World Cup final against South Africa.
Kohli, who emerged as the leading run-getter in this year's IPL with an impressive tally of 741 runs, has yet to make a substantial impact in the tournament, having amassed only 75 runs across seven innings.
With Virat, when you adopt a high-risk approach in cricket, there can be instances when it doesn't pay off, Dravid remarked after India's emphatic 68-run victory over England in the semifinals propelled them into the final.
Even today, I thought he struck a magnificent six that set the tone, but he was unfortunate that the ball seamed a bit more. Nevertheless, I admire his intent, his approach. I have a strong feeling that something substantial is on the horizon. I'm drawn to his attitude and his unwavering commitment on the field - he deserves it.
Skipper Rohit echoed the sentiment, expressing confidence in Kohli's ability to deliver in the final on Saturday.
He's an exceptional player. Every player experiences slumps. But we fully recognize his class and his significance in these high-stakes matches. Form is never a concern because when you've been playing cricket for 15 years, form is never an issue. He appears to be in good form. He has the right mindset. He's probably conserving his energy for the finals.
Rohit, who has amassed 248 runs thus far, including three half-centuries, has made history by becoming the first player to lead India in three ICC global event finals within a 12-month span, following the 2023 World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup that same year.
Dravid heaped praise on Rohit, saying, Anything I say will fall short. The way he has worked with the team, his strategic thinking, his maturity, the team's response to him, and the time he invests in strategy, planning, and discussions with all of us. I cannot speak more highly of him as a cricketer and as a person.
India's Collective Triumph
While Rohit acknowledged his individual contribution, he emphasized the satisfaction of winning with a collective performance.
I thought we adapted to the conditions exceptionally well. The conditions were somewhat challenging. We needed to adapt, and that has been our success story so far. Until this game, we have adapted to the conditions exceptionally well, he said.
Rohit admitted that initially, he believed a target of 140-150 runs would suffice, but he later revised it upwards.
Then we decided, okay, let's add another 20-25 runs. But again, while I can set a target in my mind, I don't want to reveal it to the batters because they are all instinctive players. We reached 170, which I thought was a very competitive total on that pitch. And then the bowlers were outstanding.
The Mumbaikar also lauded his spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, who combined to take six wickets.
...I thought they were very composed. They understood precisely what to bowl. And we had a quick chat after the first innings. We said, try to hit the stumps as much as possible, keep the stumps in play, and that's exactly what they did, he said.
When asked about the team's heartbreaking loss in the ODI showpiece seven months ago, Rohit emphasized the importance of staying calm.
We need to continue making sound judgments throughout the 40 overs, and that will assist us in navigating the game. And I think in this game also, we were very steady, very composed. We didn't panic excessively. We'll give it our all, that's all I can say. The team is in good shape, they're playing well. All I can hope for is another impressive performance in the finals.
