Batting legend
Sunil Gavaskar
vehemently criticized
Virat Kohli
for his recent remarks directed at cricket experts and commentators, where he expressed his displeasure towards those questioning his strike-rate ahead of the T20 World Cup squad announcement. Day after that development, former Pakistan captain
Wasim Akram
lended support to the
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
(RCB) icon.
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Gavaskar, who is an expert for Star Sports, also criticized the broadcaster for repeatedly airing the clip of Kohli's comments "half a dozen times".
"Commentators questioned only when his
strike rate
was 118...I don't watch too many matches, so I don't know what the other commentators have said. But if you come and open (batting) and then have a strike of 118 when you get out in the 14th or the 15th over, I mean, if you want applause for that, that's a little bit different," Gavaskar had said on Star Sports.
"All these guys talk about, 'oh we don't care about outside noise'. Accha! Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is?" he added.
Coming out in support of Kohli, Akram told Sportkeeda: "What criticism is he getting? That his team is losing? If the guy is scoring 100 at 150 strike rate, isn't it fine? If the team had won, there wouldn't have been criticism. Kohli was under pressure when he was captain, and he is under pressure even now. He is scoring, but one player cannot win the match.
"Criticising him unnecessarily...it's not fair. In the long run, Kohli has a lot of cricket left (in him). RCB will have to think why their performances were so inconsistent even after 16 years (in IPL). Their batting is still fine, but their bowlers are weak," Akram said.
Gavaskar's comments had come in reaction to Kohli's remarks that questioned cricket experts for making observations on his strike-rate in T20s cricket.
"Not really, all the people who talk about strike-rates and me not playing spin well are the ones talking about this stuff. For me, it's about winning the games for the team and there's a reason why you've done it for 15 years, you've done this day in and day out, you've won games for your teams. I'm not quite sure that if you haven't been in that situation yourself, to sit and talk about the game in the box," Kohli had said.
"For me, people can talk about their assumptions day in and day out, but those who have done it day in and day out, they know what's happening and it's a kind of muscle memory for me now."
During RCB's win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL on Saturday, Kohli reclaimed the Orange Cap going past Chennai Super Kings' captain Ruturaj Gaikwad's tally of 509 runs. Kohli now has scored 542 runs in 11 matches. His current strike rate is 148.09.
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