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'I met Virat in Bandra recently, and he looked...': Vengsarkar predicts Kohli's score in India vs Pakistan Asia Cup tie
Virat Kohli is set to turn out for India in their campaign in the Asia Cup, which starts with a match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, and former captain Dilip Vengsarkar, in conversation with cricket enthusiast Anis Sajan, had his say on the returning star India batter.
Virat Kohli continues to dominate the discourse leading up to India's big clash against Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup opener. Kohli goes into the tournament on the back of a break from cricket, something he had taken after the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) as well, and is looking to regain the kind of form that had led to him being recognised as the best batter in the world across formats before 2020.
Kohli, who has scored 70 international centuries, has not been able to get into the three-figure mark since November 2019. Moreover, his falling strike rate in T20 cricket has led to serious questions over his place in the Indian team going into the T20 World Cup. Former captain Dilip Vengsarkar has said that he had met Kohli when the latter was training in Mumbai before leaving for the UAE for the Asia Cup.
"Virat Kohli is one of the best players in the world and I am a huge fan. Unfortunately, he hasn't scored runs since the last IPL and has failed miserably. I think his lean patch is going far too long," Vengsarkar said while speaking to cricket enthusiast Anis Sajan on his YouTube channel.
Anis, who is fondly known as UAE's Mr. Cricket 360 is the vice-chairman of Dubai-based Danube Group, and an acclaimed promoter of cricket in the region. He has mentored teams like Bengal Tigers and Delhi Bulls from the Abu Dhabi T10 League, and the Indian team for the Indoor Cricket World Cup.
Kohli had one of his leanest patches ever in the IPL this year, scoring 341 runs at a paltry strike rate of 115.98 in 16 innings while mostly opening for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. This is in stark contrast to the explosive form he has exhibited in the past, famously in the 2016 season in which he scored a record 973 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 152.03, scoring four centuries in that season alone.
Vengsarkar asserted that Kohli remains a great player and that he hopes he can score a century against Pakistan, whom India face on Sunday in their tournament opener. Kohli is yet to score a century in his T20 international career.
"He is a great player. I hope he scores a hundred against Pakistan it is very important. I am sure he has prepared well. I just met him in BKC, he was practicing indoors and he looked lean and fit, absolutely raring to go," added Vengsarkar.
The former batter also said that India overall have a strong team going into the tournament, especially with the bowling attack they have in addition to a strong batting lineup.
"I would say that India has fantastic bench strength because if you see at IPL, they have discovered a lot of pace bowlers. There are plenty of options now as far as fast bowling and good spinners are concerned. I think we won't be missing anybody [like Jasprit Bumrah] for that matter," said Vengsarkar.
