Why Virat Kohli's low scores are more of a worry than relief for England before T20 World Cup semi-final against India

India's Virat Kohli is yet to click with the bat in this T20 World Cup.

With scores of 1, 4, 0, 24, 37, and 0, it is safe to state that Virat Kohli is going through his worst T20 World Cup. He has been a part of five World Cups in the shortest format, and in none of those, he went through a lean patch like this. An idea about Kohli's dominance in T20 World Cups can be made from this simple stat - despite this dry run in this edition, he still averages more than 60 in T20 World Cups and is the only batter to do so.

That is exactly why England are wary of the Kohli threat. England head coach Matthew Mott said they know what damage Kohli can cause if he gets going at the top of the order. "Virat has proven his class over a very long period of time. He's 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 ahead of the India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final.

Calling Kohli "a key player" for India's chances, Mott said his team is expecting nothing but the best from the former India captain as he is a big-match player.

"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 We're hoping our players do that but you can expect him to do exactly the same," he said.

One good thing about Kohli's batting in this World Cup has been his intent despite the low returns. He was looking in pretty good touch against Bangladesh before getting out Tanzim Sakib while charging down the track.

India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final: A chance for India to avenge Adelaide loss

The final four clash in Guyana will be a rematch of the 2022 semi-final between England and India and Mott is hopeful of a similar result after his side cruised to a 10-wicket triumph in that contest at the Adelaide Oval.

The conditions teams will face in the Caribbean will be vastly different to the ones they encountered two years ago and for both England and India it will be the first match this tournament they have played at the Guyana National Stadium.

Mott believes both teams will need to adapt to the conditions they face, and the team that prevails will adjust more quickly.

"I don't think anyone starts at an advantage or disadvantage in a semi-final. I think it's who adapts (to the conditions) the quickest. I think you can come in with preconceived ideas, but our mantra has always been playing what's in front of us," Mott noted.

So, the intel that we can get in those first couple of overs, whether it's with the bat or the ball, that's been a real strong suit in this competition, the communication back and forth about what to expect, what ends to maybe target with the wind.

"I've arrived today, there's no wind today, but we can expect that there will be some wind. And probably the key advantage for us is having someone like (former West Indies all-rounder) Kieron Pollard in our camp, whose intel on all the islands and what we can expect has been invaluable. He's got a great presence within our group and the way he goes about it," the 50-year-old concluded.

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