Steven Smith bats for Virat Kohli's inclusion in India's T20 World Cup squad

According to reports, there is a question mark regarding Virat Kohli's selection in the India squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June. However, former Australian captain Steven Smith has come out in support of the Delhi batter and explained why he needs to be playing in the marquee event.

Kohli's strike rate in the T20 format has come under the scanner on several occasions. While the right-handed batter keeps churning out the runs, it doesn't always come at a great click. His strike rates in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2020, 2021, and 2022 were 121.35, 119.46, and 115.99 respectively. However, he redressed the issue last year and scored an impressive 639 runs from 14 matches at a strike rate of 139.82.

Smith, who is considered one of the finest batters of this generation alongside Kohli, backed the former India captain to make it to India's squad for the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA. The Aussie legend said that Kohli plays according to the situation of the match and noted that there are some wickets which do not allow batters to play at high strike rates.

"He plays the situation. Some wickets you play on, your strike rate doesn't need to be high. We've seen Virat play some masterclass innings and get his team over the line, whether it is for RCB or for India. I've been in the opposition and he has done it against us on numerous occasions," Smith said while speaking on Star Sports.

After taking a 14-month hiatus from T20I cricket, Kohli returned to the shortest format of the game for the Men in Blue during their three-match home series against Afghanistan in January. He missed the first T20I but scored 29 off 16 balls in the second in Indore. In the third T20I, the 35-year-old was dismissed for a golden duck.

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You need players like Virat Kohli when you go to the World Cup and face pressure situations: Steven Smith

Kohli has shown time and again that he excels in pressure situations. Smith opined that players who can succeed under pressure are invaluable in important tournaments like World Cups.

"He (Kohli) plays extremely well under pressure. He loves that. It is such players that you want in your team when you go to the World Cup and face pressure situations. You want the experienced players who stand up in those situations and Virat is certainly one of those," Smith stated.

While Kohli's IPL strike rates dipped between 2020 and 2022, he had a strike rate of 137.64 during the same period in international T20 cricket. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter will look to silence his naysayers by putting on a show during IPL 2024. The Faf du Plessis-led side will kickstart their IPL 2024 campaign on Friday, March 22, when they take on Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk.

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