‘We know how dominant…’: Chris Gayle backs Virat Kohli ahead of T20 World Cup final against South Africa

NEW DELHI: Despite Virat Kohli’s struggles in the T20 World Cup, former West Indies opener and captain Chris Gayle is not ready to dismiss the “special” player. Kohli was in excellent form for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2024 Indian Premier League, but he has been struggling to score runs in the current T20 World Cup since arriving in the USA and the West Indies.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma and former players have faith that Kohli will bounce back in the final against South Africa, despite his poor performance in the tournament so far. Gayle, who has played alongside Kohli for RCB, believes the experienced batsman will rise to the occasion in the crucial match against South Africa.

“These things happen to superstars or world-class players like Virat. We know how dominant he has been in previous World Cups. A bad patch can happen to anyone. But the good thing is, he is in the final, and sometimes big players can step up and win the game for the team. So you cannot write off a player like Virat Kohli. We know how special he is, so we just have to wait and see what he delivers tomorrow,” Gayle said during a media conference, according to ANI.

Kohli won the Orange Cap in the 2024 Indian Premier League, scoring an impressive 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, including five half-centuries. However, he has been unable to replicate this form in the ongoing T20 World Cup. His IPL statistics are in stark contrast to his current performance.

Despite his experience, Kohli has struggled to perform consistently when opening with Rohit in seven games, scoring only 75 runs at an average of 10.71 during the competition.

India will face South Africa in the final at the Kensington Oval on Saturday. A reserve day is scheduled in case rain disrupts the match.