Credit to Virat Kohli for embracing India's new T20I philosophy: Sanjay Manjrekar
India Today
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said Virat Kohli tried to embrace India's new aggressive T20I philosophy in the T20Is in England despite being under pressure to return to form.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said Virat Kohli needs to be applauded for trying to embrace India's new approach in T20I cricket even as the former skipper was looking to regain form in the T20I series against England in July.
Sanjay Manjrekar said he felt Virat Kohli was trying to be aggressive from the word go, willing to take risks despite facing the pressure of the lean patch that has been through during the 2 T20Is he played against England.
Notably, captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged that India had failed to qualify for the semi-final of last year's T20 World Cup due to a conservative approach with the bat and that they would want to change the style of their T20I cricket. Rohit, speaking after the T20I series win against West Indies, said that the players have been given the license to embrace the team's new approach and reassured about the potential failures they might face.
Kohli, who returned to India's T20I squad for the series in England, scored 11 runs from 6 deliveries in the 1st T20I as he tried to throw his bat at nearly everything. Kohli hit a six and a boundary before he was caught at short extra-cover when he attempted another big shot. In the second T20I too, Kohli uncharacteristically looked to begin with big shots but failed in his approach as he managed just 1 run from 3 deliveries.
"They should celebrate because the class is back. Virat Kohli has had some first-hand experience of this new approach of India in T20 cricket in England. So he has embraced that, not with great success, but he has embraced that. You have got to give credit to Virat Kohli," Manjrekar told Sports 18.
"He didn't care about whether he was getting runs or whether he was getting out because he desperately needed runs in England and he is looking for international runs but he still sort of backed up the Indian team's new philosophy. He was trying to hit boundaries from ball number one."
Notably, Kohli has been named in India's squad for Asia Cup 2022 despite questions being asked of his place in the T20I side. The former India captain is part of the 15-man squad which will be led by Rohit Sharma.
