Kohli's Player of the Match Award Sparks Debate After India's T20 World Cup Triumph

The T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa witnessed a thrilling climax, with India emerging victorious by a narrow margin of 7 runs. However, the Player of the Match award, which went to Virat Kohli, has sparked a debate among cricket experts.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his surprise at Kohli receiving the award, arguing that his knock of 76 runs off 59 balls had put India in a precarious position. Manjrekar believes that the Indian bowlers, particularly Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh, deserved the recognition for their exceptional death bowling that rescued India from the brink of defeat.

"By playing that innings, Hardik Pandya, one of their most devastating batters, had just two balls to face. So I thought India's batting was good, but Virat Kohli had potentially played an innings that would've put India in a tight corner. And it almost proved to be that, before these guys' bowlers came in the end," Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar emphasized that India were in a losing position, with South Africa having a 90% chance of victory. He believes that the bowlers' remarkable turnaround saved Kohli's innings, which had a strike rate of 128 for nearly half of the innings.

"My Player of the Match would've been a bowler because they actually took the game from the jaws of defeat and won it for India," Manjrekar added.

However, former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower had a different perspective. He believes that India's batting performance was sufficient, with a total of 176 runs on the board. Flower acknowledged that if India had lost the match, Kohli would have faced significant criticism.

"If India had been pipped there, there would've been a lot of criticism going Virat Kohli's way, I'd reckon. At the halfway mark, I thought India had enough, and that it was going to be a very difficult chase for South Africa," Flower said.

The debate over the Player of the Match award highlights the crucial role played by both the batters and bowlers in India's victory. While Kohli's innings provided a solid foundation, the bowlers' exceptional performance in the final overs ultimately secured the win.

Tags: #T20WorldCup2024, #IndiaVsSouthAfrica, #PlayerOfTheMatch, #ViratKohli, #SanjayManjrekar