'Cannot write off a player like Virat Kohli': Chris Gayle backs India star ahead of T20 WC final

Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. Pic/PTI

Former West Indies opener and captain Chris Gayle is not willing to "write off" "special" player Virat Kohli despite his struggling form in the T20 World Cup.

Kohli has been chasing the shadows of the player that he used to be for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League 2024.

Since touching down in the USA and the West Indies for the marquee event, Kohli has been searching for runs from his bat throughout the ongoing edition of the marquee event.

Despite his nightmarish run in the T20 World Cup, Indian captain Rohit Sharma, along with former players, have backed Kohli to bounce back in the final against South Africa.

Gayle, who played along with Kohli for RCB, backed the stalwart batter to bounce back and create a spectacle in the game that matters most, the T20 World Cup final against South Africa.

"These things happen to superstars or world-class players such as Virat. We know how dominant he has been in previous World Cups. A bat patch, it can happen to anybody. But the good thing about it. He is in the final, and sometimes big players can be called upon and step up and win the actual game for the team as well. So you cannot write off a player like Virat Kohli without a doubt. We know how special he is, so we just have to wait and see what he delivers tomorrow," Gayle said during a media conference.

Kohli ended IPL 2024 with the Orange Cap by racking a whopping 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, with a century and five half-centuries.

But in the ongoing T20 World Cup, he has been chasing shadows of his former self. Kohli's record is in complete contrast with his IPL figures.

In seven matches, Kohli, with all his experience, has struggled to put together a string of performances while opening alongside Rohit. He has mustered up just 75 runs at an average of 10.71 throughout the tournament.

India will play the final on Saturday against South Africa at the Kensington Oval. If rain doesn't allow the game to take place, then a reserve day is in store.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever