Picture Credit: Twitter
‘Virat Kohli is not fit for T20s, he should give up the format’. These were the calls when India’s batting stalwart struggled to get runs under his belt. While many questioned Kohli’s place on the Indian T20I side, there was one person who constantly backed the star batter, Ravi Shastri. The former India head coach believed Kohli will be back with a bang, but he will need a break before that.
While most of the people criticized the batter for taking a break from the West Indies and Zimbabwe tour, it was Ravi Shastri who believed the break will do a world of good to the 33-year-old. It happened. Kohli returned from the break and straightaway hit the run charts. The batter finished as the second-highest run-scorer at Asia Cup 2022 with 276 runs in five innings. He also broke the 71st-century jinx.
Kohli then continued his good run in the home T20I series against Australia and South Africa, but it was the T20 World Cup everyone was waiting for. That moment also came and when it did, Kohli was ready to grab the opportunity. Not only did the batter score a half-century but he also won the match for his team from a situation where a win looked uncertain. Kohli played ‘his best inning in T20Is’ as he scored a 53-ball 82*.
People went bonkers after the match-winning knock that will go down as one of the best ever. Social media was filled with praiseworthy posts for the batter with almost everyone hailing Kohli. All the talks around him not suitable for T20Is vanished in a fraction of a second. The critics turned into admirers. But Ravi Shastri won’t let them get away easily.
"We are a country with short memories; topi masters of the world! We flip, change in two minutes," said Shastri post Kohli's heroics.
The man who has stood by Kohli’s side in every situation has pointed out how Kohli shut every mouth talking trash about him. When asked about what he expects from the batter after this historic knock, Shastri said he has no expectations, he just wants the 33-year-old to enjoy his life while pointing out how media and critics have often put pressure on the batter.
“What’s next for Virat Kohli? I have no expectations, just let him enjoy his life. The media and critics have put enough pressure on this uncut diamond, and he showed who he is. Chup kar diya na sabko?! (He has silenced everyone, right?!),” Shastri said to the Indian Express.