Rohit Sharma laughs at Virat Kohli question, Ajit Agarkar addresses 'strike-rate' row: 'World Cup pressure is different'

Rohit Sharma couldn’t help but laugh when the question came.

Among the many talking points that have emerged from the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the matter of strike rates and how much of a role it plays in the format. At the centre of those conversations is former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Virat Kohli, who has held the Orange Cap for a majority of the season but has often struggled to maintain a high strike rate consistently in games. Kohli’s strike rate currently stands at 147.49 and while that is not low by any stretch of imagination, it is well behind what the likes of KKR’s Phil Salt and Sunil Narine or RR’s Sanju Samson have managed to maintain in the same number of matches, albeit for lesser runs. RR are top of the table while KKR are second, RCB are rock bottom at 10th with just six points in 10 games.

Kohli has been selected in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup and India captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector ended up being asked about whether there were discussions about the 34-year-old’s strike rate before the team was decided. Rohit couldn’t stop himself from laughing quietly even before the question could be completed while Agarkar replied.

“About Virat Kohli’s strike rate, I don’t think we have been discussing it. He has been in great form in the IPL, no concerns at all,” said the former fast bowler. Agarkar explained that someone of Kohli’s experience would be required in the T20 World Cup.

“You are still going to a World Cup, it is international cricket and there is that gap there (with the IPL). You have got to prepare (the team) knowing that there is a gap and that’s where experience does matter a lot,” he said.

The IPL has featured an extraordinarily high number of big scores this season from teams, with scores in excess of 220 often being chased down. “If the tournament turns out like the IPL where 220 plays 220, I think we have enough in the team in terms of balance and power to match that. There is no real point overthinking it. You try and take the positives in the IPL, form of some of the newer guys coming through but at the end of the day when you turn up for a World Cup game, the pressures are different,” said Agarkar.

Kohli is the highest run scorer in the history of T20 World Cup and the highest scorer overall in T20 internationals. He has 1141 runs in 27 T20 World Cup matches at a strike rate of 131.30 and average of 81.50

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