Virat Kohli’s performances in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa have seen his stock rise another couple of notches, as the Indian skipper is showing everyone why he is the best batsman of this generation.
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Kohli’s brilliant run in South Africa is in stark contrast to the struggles of his team mates, as the Delhi batsman has almost put on a one-made show for his side.
Shikhar Dhawan’s great form in the ODIs have helped Kohli, as the pair have smashed the South African bowlers in the all four matches so far.
But there are some who are worried about the Indian batting line-up, as there seems to be an over-reliance on Kohli to score the runs every time. The skipper’s outstanding run has plastered over a few noticeable cracks in the Indian batting order, with the middle-order providing little to no support to their captain.
The likes of Rahane, Pandya and Dhoni have failed to score consistently, which will be a big worry to the team management as they prepare for the World Cup in almost twelve months time.
World Cup winning batsman, Kris Srikkanth has come out and said that Kohli’s appetite for runs is simply extraordinary, but the team’s over-reliance on him will eventually hurt the team.
“As much I have enjoyed the commanding performance of India, I am also concerned on the over-dependence on Kohli. The batting is failing to click as a unit and that’s a cause for concern. The moment the skipper has a bad game this team looks completely different,” he was quoted as saying by TOI.
“The last two decades have seen some of India’s most committed cricketers. Top of that list would be Tendulkar, Dravid and Kumble. In my opinion, Kohli is right up there with the best when it comes to commitment. The pride in performance is extraordinary,” he added.
Srikkanth’s cause of concern is obvious, as India have looked like a different side whenever Kohli fails to perform on the big stage.
The 2015 World Cup semi-final against Australia and the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan remain fresh in the minds of Indian cricketing fans, as Kohli’s inability to come up with the goods saw the rest of the side capitulate in those two matches.
It is therefore imperative that India sorts out it’s middle order pretty quickly. Not do so and the Men in Blue will head into yet another ICC event relying on their brilliant skipper to bail them out every time.
