Chris Gayle Backs “Special” Virat Kohli Ahead of T20 WC Final

Former West Indies opener and captain Chris Gayle remains optimistic about Virat Kohli’s potential to deliver in the T20 World Cup final despite his current slump in form. Kohli, who excelled in the 2024 IPL season with Royal Challengers Bangalore, has struggled to replicate his success in the ongoing tournament.

Since arriving in the USA and West Indies for the marquee event, Kohli has been searching for runs. Despite his difficulties, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and former players have expressed their faith in Kohli, hoping he will rise to the occasion in the final against South Africa.

Gayle, who has shared the field with Kohli at RCB, expressed his confidence in the Indian star, emphasizing that even the best players experience rough patches. He believes Kohli can make a significant impact in the final.

“These things happen to superstars or world-class players such as Virat. We know how dominant he has been in previous World Cups. A bad patch can happen to anybody. But the good thing is he is in the final, and sometimes big players can be called upon and step up and win the actual game for the team as well. So you cannot write off a player like Virat Kohli without a doubt. We know how special he is, so we just have to wait and see what he delivers tomorrow,” Gayle said during a media conference.

Kohli ended IPL 2024 with the Orange Cap, amassing 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, including a century and five half-centuries. However, his T20 World Cup performance has been underwhelming, scoring only 75 runs at an average of 10.71 in seven matches.

India is set to face South Africa in the T20 World Cup final on Saturday at the Kensington Oval. A reserve day has been scheduled in case of rain.