Image Credit- PTI
In the current ICC World Test Championship (WTC),
former India captain Virat Kohli, fresh off finishing as his country’s top run
scorer in South Africa, will want to record another run-fest series. In their
upcoming red-ball assignment, Rohit Sharma’s Team India—who finished second in
the previous two WTC editions—will play host to England. Is the best of Kohli
returning? After the South Africa series, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan
is expecting the batting wizard to live up to the hype.
Following an outstanding performance at the One Day
International (ODI) World Cup the previous year, Kohli rejoined the Indian
team. In the first innings of the South Africa series opener, Kohli hit 38 runs
off 64 balls. India’s second essay at Centurion featured a gritty 76 off 82
balls from the primary batsman. Then, in the Cape Town Test, which India won by
seven wickets, Kohli struck 46 from 59 balls.
“Virat Kohli is back at his very best, this is
good news for Indian cricket and Virat Kohli fans. He was exceptional in South
Africa and his foot movement was brilliant. He is showing aggressive signs with
his footwork and that might help him score runs in the England series,”
Pathan told Star Sports.
Kohli scored 172 runs for India in the two-Test series
against South Africa, averaging 43.00. India’s captain, Virat Kohli, will play
in his 114th Test match against England on Friday in Hyderabad. For the first
Test match between India and England, the former captain of India recently
travelled to Hyderabad. With an average of 49.16, Kohli has amassed 8,848 runs
for India in 113 Test matches.
In the longest format, the 35-year-old has 29
centuries and 30 half-centuries to his credit. The previous captain of India
has participated in four Test matches during the WTC’s 2023–2026 cycle. In four
tests, Kohli amassed 369 runs for the Asian heavyweights. Australia’s Usman
Khawaja is the top run scorer in the WTC 2023–2025 with 770 runs in nine games.
India, led by Kohli, will play England, led by Ben Stokes, in the first Test at
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.