Chris Gayle, the former West Indies cricketer, has expressed his backing for his former teammate, Virat Kohli, during an interview with Sportstak. According to Gayle, Kohli will play a crucial role for the Indian team in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup slated for June. He highlighted the intensified competition in this year’s tournament, featuring 20 teams.
Reflecting on India’s performance in the last two T20 World Cup editions in 2021 and 2022, where they exited early in the group stages and semi-finals respectively, Gayle emphasized the significance of Kohli’s presence. India, led by Kohli, faced disappointment in the 2021 tournament held in the UAE, while in the following year, under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, they reached the semi-finals but were defeated by England.
Chris Gayle noted that since then, the Indian cricket team has missed opportunities to secure ICC trophies, including setbacks in the WTC final and the 50-over World Cup.
Appreciating Kohli’s versatility as a player, Gayle endorsed his participation in the entire 2024 T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by Gayle’s former national team and the USA for the first time.
Gayle commented,
“Virat Kohli should play the 2024 T20 World Cup. He fits in any team in the world.”
Kohli, holding the record for the highest number of runs scored in ICC T20 World Cup history, has an opportunity to extend his lead in the run-scoring charts, with Rohit Sharma also among the top performers. Currently, Kohli has amassed 1141 runs from 25 innings, boasting an impressive average of 81.5, with his highest score being 89*.
Although absent from the ongoing 5-match Test series against England, Kohli is expected to return for IPL 2024. He has been on hiatus from cricket since January 17th, following the birth of his second child with wife Anushka Sharma.