With Virat Kohli leading the batting charge of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara has backed the former India skipper to feature in the World Cup squad of the 2007 champions. There is extra focus on the IPL 2024 as the ICC event will get underway days after the end of the world’s richest T20 tournament.
Though run-machine Kohli is dominating the batting charts at the IPL 2024, his strike rate has come under scrutiny in the league phase of the competition. Kohli’s 67-ball century sparked a huge cricket after Faf du Plessis’ Royal Challengers Bengaluru were outplayed by Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur. RR star Jos Buttler smashed a 58-ball 100* to seal the six-wicket win for the 2008 champions. Kohli matched Manish Pandey’s feat by scoring the joint slowest century at the IPL. Pandey slammed his slowest ton back in 2009.
Former West Indies captain Lara offered his backing to Kohli, who has amassed a strike rate of 146.29 in the first five IPL 2024 games, during the strike rate discussion on Star Sports Press Room. “The strike rate is dependent on position; a strike rate of 130–140 is generally considered acceptable for an opener. However, you might have to hit at 150 or 160 if you are coming in the middle of the order. Batsmen are hitting at 200 in the later half of an innings, as you have witnessed in this IPL,” Lara remarked.
