Kohli's 76-run innings on 59 balls helped India set a target of 177 runs in Barbados, but according to Manjrekar, it also put India in a precarious position as South Africa seemed poised to chase it down
01 July, 2024
PHOTO: FILE
Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has credited India's bowlers for rescuing Virat Kohli in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa.
Kohli's 76-run innings on 59 balls helped India set a target of 177 runs in Barbados, but according to Manjrekar, it also put India in a precarious position as South Africa seemed poised to chase it down.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Manjrekar emphasized that Kohli's innings, while crucial, had potentially cornered India, especially with Hardik Pandya having faced just two balls by the end. He praised India's batting overall but highlighted the pivotal role of the bowlers in securing India's first ICC trophy since 2013.
"By playing that innings, Hardik Pandya, one of their most devastating batters, had just two balls to face. So I thought India's batting was good, but Virat Kohli had potentially played an innings that would've put India in a tight corner. And it almost proved to be that, before these guys' bowlers came in the end,” Manjrekar said.
Manjrekar expressed his preference for a bowler as the Player of the Match, given their decisive impact in the final stages of the match.
"India were in a losing position, 90 percent winning chances [for South Africa]. The complete turnaround actually saved Virat Kohli's innings because he played virtually half the innings with a strike-rate of 128. My Player of the Match would've been a bowler because they actually took the game from the jaws of defeat and won it for India," he further added.
Under Rohit Sharma's leadership, India secured their second T20 World Cup title, joining West Indies and England as the only teams to achieve this feat. Sharma announced his retirement from T20Is shortly after leading India to this historic victory.
