The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon currently leads the IPL 2024 run-scoring charts with 316 runs in five matches.But his strike rate of 146.30 this season, which includes the joint slowest IPL century ever (off 67 balls), has ensured that the debate on his T20 World Cup fate continued.
But giving a lighter tone to the issue, Kohli’s RCB teammate Glenn Maxwell has commented “I hope India don’t pick him.”
Recalling Kohli’s half-century against Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup, Maxwell laughed at those arguing Kohli’s selection for the June 2 to 29 tournament to be jointed hosted by USA and the West Indies.
“Virat Kohli is the most clutch player I have ever played against,” said Maxwell talking to ESPN. “The innings he played against us in Mohali during the 2016 T20 World Cup is still the best innings I have ever seen been played against me. His awareness of what he needs to do to win the game is just phenomenal.
I hope India don’t pick him (for T20 World Cup) because it will be great to not come up against him,” he joked.
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Talking specifically about the questions around Kohli’s selection, Maxwell said: “It’s not surprising because there are 1.5 billion (people in India) and I reckon half of them are unbelievable cricketers in this country (laughs). It’s a hard team to get into. You look at India’s top T20 players who are all playing in this tournament (IPL 2024). They are phenomenal players and there should be heat on every player.”
Kohli’s T20 international career has so far seen him play 117 matches for India, scoring 4037 runs at a strike rate of 138.16, including one hundred and 37 fifties.