Virat Kohli might not be having the best of time with the bat in the T20 World Cup 2024, but England coach Matthew Mott said that the team is wary of him ahead of the second semi-final in Guyana on June 27, 2024.
India and England will clash in the knockout game at the Providence Stadium in Guyana in a repeat of the 2022 T20 World Cup semis.
This semi-final is critical for England because they struggled to defend the white-ball championship at the 2023 ODI World Cup. Jos Buttler and his team finished seventh in the league stage of the tournament, which India hosted after 12 years.
A win in this semi-final is critical for India because they have not won a single semi-final since 2016. The Indians last reached the final in 2014, falling to eventual champions Sri Lanka. Another important factor is that this is head coach Rahul Dravid’s final assignment with the Men in Blue.
“We know how destructive Virat Kohli can be”: Matthew Mott
At the top of the order, India will be hoping for runs from Kohli’s bat, who has had a disappointing campaign by his lofty standards. Kohli has scored only 66 runs in 6 games thus far, with best score of 37, which came against Bangladesh.
Mott cited Kohli’s proclivity for peak performances in big games and understands his team must neutralize Kohli’s top-order threat on Thursday (June 27).
“Virat has proven his class over a very long period of time and he is one of the players we’ve prepared well for. We know how he can play; we know how destructive he can be and we also know his game smarts. If the game demands an innings of a different nature, he’s got that skill,” Mott said at the pre-match press conference.
“So, he’s definitely a key player for them, and like we’ve said throughout this tournament what’s happened throughout this tournament means nothing tomorrow when we face off against each other, big players step up in the big moments,” Mott added.
Neither England nor India have played any games at the Providence Stadium in the T20 World Cup and the conditions are alien to both teams.
There is also the threat of rain in this match and in case the match is washed out due to rain, India will proceed to the final, as they topped their Group in the Super 8s, winning all the games. England had lost one game to South Africa in Super 8s.
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