When the Indian cricket team won the T20 World Cup in 2024 by defeating South Africa in the championship game, Virat Kohli was named the Player of the Match. He scored 76 runs in 59 balls, helping India reach a total of 176 runs. South Africa tried to match this score but came up 7 runs short. Although Kohli’s performance was crucial for India’s win, some people think he didn’t deserve the Player of the Match title. For example, former Indian player Wasim Jaffer believes Kohli wasn’t the most important batsman for India in that final match.
Jaffer, who used to be a top player for India, believes that Axar Patel is the best batter who helped the team win the big game against South Africa.
“Virat Kohli didn’t score a lot of runs in the competition, but he did well at the perfect time. As they say, when the situation gets tough, the right person steps up. His score of 76 was very important and helped the team stay strong,” Jaffer shared on his YouTube channel.
“I believe Axar Patel played a crucial role. His quick innings helped India maintain a run rate of at least eight runs per over. He aggressively faced the South African bowlers and didn’t allow them to relax, forming a key partnership with Kohli,” he continued.
Jaffer ended the video by honoring India’s two star players – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – and acknowledged that their departure will leave a significant void in the team.
“Rohit and Kohli, two very important players, have stopped playing T20 matches, which will leave a big space. But they decided to quit after winning a big prize, which was a good choice. We should respect these really good players. We’ll still get to see them in other cricket games like IPL, one-day matches, and test matches,” Jaffer said.
