Former India captain Virat Kohli stole the limelight during India’s training session in New York ahead of their T20 World Cup 2024 Group A opener against Ireland. The Indian team trained for nearly three hours at the Nassau County Cricket Ground on Monday evening, with Kohli looking particularly impressive in the nets.
Kohli, who missed India’s practice game against Bangladesh on June 1 due to his late arrival in New York, strongly impacted his first training session. Rested for the match that India won by 60 runs, thanks to Rishabh Pant’s fifty and Hardik Pandya’s late blitz, Kohli was eager to make the most of his time on the field.
During his batting session, Kohli faced top Indian bowlers including Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Taking time to assess the conditions, Kohli soon began to play his shots with confidence, riding the bounce on the training pitches at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium, which has so far favored fast bowlers.
Batting alongside Suryakumar Yadav, Kohli looked in complete control, demonstrating the form that saw him win the Orange Cap in IPL 2024 with 741 runs in 15 matches. His fluency in the nets and ability to adapt quickly to the conditions bode well for India as they prepare to take on Ireland in their World Cup opener.
As India gears up for the T20 World Cup, Kohli’s form and experience will be crucial to their campaign. His performance in the training session has not only boosted his confidence but also provided a much-needed morale boost for the team ahead of the tournament.