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Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli. Photo: Spoirtzpics


Amid rumours about Virat Kohli’s place in India’s T20 World Cup squad, former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn on Friday, March 15, said that Virat Kohli must score big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to make sure that he enters coveted tournament feeling confident about his place in the side.


“Extremely important for Kohli to score big this season,” Steyn said in a press conference ahead of the announcement of the Star Sports’ commentary panel for the IPL 2024.

“Some players have leapfrogged Kohli since he has played any cricket since January and when you take a team to the World Cup, you want the players who have scored runs already in big tournament,” Steyn stressed upon why Kohli’s place would be in danger if he didn’t score big in the IPL.

Meanwhile, former India pacer Irfan Pathan said that this season Kohli is expected to better his 2016 IPL performance.

“Kohli would be hungry to score runs given he has been out of action from past few months,” Pathan added.


Kohli, 35, did not participate in the India vs England 5-match Test series for personal reasons but is touted to play in the IPL. 


However, there have been rumours circulating in social media that BCCI is pressuring the senior men’s selection committee as well as the team management to pick players purely on the winnability factor rather than by looking at what they have done in the past.


What has Virat Kohli done for India in T20 World Cups?


Kohli, who has 1141 runs in 27 games, is the leading run-score in the history of T20 World Cups. He has been India’s top scorer in the 2014, 2016 and 2022 T20 World Cups. Therefore to discard him altogether from the T20 set-up while Rohit Sharma keeps playing could be a difficult ask for the selectors.


RCB will play the opening encounter of the IPL 2024 against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 22. 

Virat Kohli stats in Indian Premier League history


Virat Kohli batting & fielding Stats

YEAR
MAT
NO
RUNS
HS
AVG
BF
SR
100
50
4S
6S
CT
ST

Career
237
34
7263
113
37.25
5586
130.02
7
50
643
234
107
0

2023
14
2
639
101*
53.25
457
139.82
2
6
65
16
13
0

2022
16
1
341
73
22.73
294
115.99
0
2
32
8
9
0

2021
15
1
405
72*
28.92
339
119.46
0
3
43
9
8
0

2020
15
4
466
90*
42.36
384
121.35
0
3
23
11
3
0

2019
14
0
464
100
33.14
328
141.46
1
2
46
13
5
0

2018
14
3
530
92*
48.18
381
139.1
0
4
52
18
8
0

2017
10
0
308
64
30.8
252
122.22
0
4
23
11
6
0

2016
16
4
973
113
81.08
640
152.03
4
7
83
38
6
0

2015
16
5
505
82*
45.9
386
130.82
0
3
35
23
7
0

2014
14
1
359
73
27.61
294
122.1
0
2
23
16
7
0

2013
16
2
634
99
45.28
457
138.73
0
6
64
22
7
0

2012
16
2
364
73*
28
326
111.65
0
2
33
9
7
0

2011
16
4
557
71
46.41
460
121.08
0
4
55
16
7
0

2010
16
2
307
58
27.9
212
144.81
0
1
26
12
3
0

2009
16
2
246
50
22.36
219
112.32
0
1
22
8
9
0

2008
13
1
165
38
15
157
105.09
0
0
18
4
2
0




 

First Published: Mar 15 2024 | 4:04 PM IST

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