Ricky Ponting Baffled by Virat Kohli's Exclusion from India's T20 World Cup Squad

Ricky Ponting, the legendary Australian cricketer, has expressed his bewilderment at the Indian selectors' apparent reluctance to select Virat Kohli for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Ponting believes that Kohli, with his exceptional class and experience, should be an automatic pick for the tournament.

Kohli's impressive performance in the ongoing IPL, where he leads the run table with 708 runs from 14 innings, has further strengthened Ponting's belief in his abilities. Despite concerns about his strike rate at the top of the order, Ponting argues that Kohli's overall value to the Indian team cannot be underestimated.

"He (Kohli) is the first pick for me for India. So, class and experience like that, you can't replace," Ponting told ICC. "It's funny with Virat. I think people in India just always try to find a reason not to pick him or a reason why he's maybe not as good as some of these other guys in the T20 game."

Ponting suggests that Kohli should open the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma, allowing players like Suryakumar Yadav to accelerate the run rate later in the innings. He also highlights the importance of having left-handed batters in the team, which could influence the selectors' decision regarding Yashasvi Jaiswal's batting position.

Kohli's adaptability and willingness to improve are evident in his improved strike rate this season, which is the highest in his 17 years with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Ponting acknowledges that while strike rates have gained prominence in recent years, Kohli's ability to anchor the innings and play according to the situation remains invaluable.

"The mantra I think for the teams three or four years ago, was making sure that someone at the top of the order made 80 or 100, even if it took them 60 balls, it didn't really matter," Ponting said. "I think it's sort of shifting now to be more of a strike rate based game where you can have a massive impact on a game with a 40 off 15 balls rather than getting an 80 off 55 balls sort of thing."

Kohli's crucial contributions in high-pressure matches, such as his unbeaten 82 against Pakistan and half-century against England in the 2022 T20 World Cup, further demonstrate his reliability in crunch situations. Ponting believes that Kohli's experience and ability to perform under pressure make him an indispensable asset for the Indian team.

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