Kohli has endured a poor run of form this tournament, making 75 runs in seven innings and scoring at exactly a run a ball. The lean trot extended into the semi-final, in which Kohli hit one majestic six but otherwise struggled, several false shots preceding his dismissal, bowled by Reece Topley.
There have been calls for Kohli to move aside to allow Yashasvi Jaiswal, yet to play a game at the World Cup, to open, but these have been ignored so far.
The former India captain has faced questions over his T20 credentials before, though those largely centred on his ability to score quickly throughout an innings, rather than his ability to score at all. He answered those critics with a stellar series of scores through the second half of the Indian Premier League as Royal Challengers Bengaluru surged into the play-offs, and Rohit backed him to come good again in the final.
India have thrashed England to secure their place in the 2024 T20 World Cup final 🔥
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 27, 2024
Scorecard: https://t.co/g6rJlpHBxu pic.twitter.com/I0S8RJmaeC
“He’s a quality player,” he said in the post-match presentation. “Any player can go through that, but we do understand his class and we do understand his importance in big games. Form is never a problem. When you have played cricket for 15 years, form is never a player. He is looking good, his intent is there.”
Then asked explicitly whether he backed Kohli for the final, Rohit replied: “Absolutely”.
India will take on South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday, June 29.
