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| Sanjay Manjrekar Criticizes Virat Kohli's Player of the Match Award in T20 World Cup Final |
Virat Kohli's half-century in the T20 World Cup final was instrumental in India's victory over South Africa. Despite his significant contribution, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed dissatisfaction with Kohli being awarded the Player of the Match, citing his strike rate as a concern.
Detailed Report
Virat Kohli, who was struggling to regain his form throughout the recently concluded T20 World Cup, played a crucial innings in the final against South Africa, scoring 76 runs off 59 balls. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award. However, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was not impressed with Kohli’s innings, particularly criticizing his strike rate.
Despite losing three wickets during the powerplay, India managed to score 45 runs in the first six overs, with Kohli hitting four boundaries. Kohli then partnered with Axar Patel for a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket, taking India to 106/4 by the 14th over. Axar Patel also contributed significantly with a 31-ball 47, while Shivam Dube added 27 runs off 16 balls.
Manjrekar's Criticism
Speaking to a sports channel, Manjrekar commented that Kohli's innings was too slow, which limited opportunities for India's in-form middle-order batsman, Hardik Pandya, who only got to face two balls. Manjrekar said, "Because of Kohli's innings, Hardik only got to play two balls. I believe India’s batting was good, but Kohli's innings put India in a precarious situation."
Manjrekar further emphasized that India could have lost the final had the bowlers not performed exceptionally well in the death overs. Heinrich Klaasen's quick-fire half-century had swung the match 90 percent in South Africa's favor at one point. According to Manjrekar, a bowler should have been awarded the Player of the Match instead of Kohli.
"India was on the verge of defeat, and South Africa's chances of winning had soared to 90 percent. Kohli batted with a strike rate of 128 in that match. In my view, a bowler deserved the Player of the Match award because they turned the game in India's favor and secured the victory," Manjrekar concluded.
