Virat Kohli had a terrific 2023 with the bat. With 765 runs and three centuries to his name, the former India skipper finished as the leading run-scorer of the ODI World Cup 2023 while he also hit two Test centuries against Australia and West Indies earlier in the year. Former England international Nasser Hussain was mighty impressed with his performance and expects the 35-year-old to have another cracking year with the bat in 2024.
Nasser mentioned that Kohli was technically sound in 2023 and recalled his knock against Sri Lanka in the World Cup. The former England skipper added that the cricketer seemed to be in a good mental space, which will only elevate his game in the coming year.
“My first one is a megastar and there is no doubt about it. Virat Kohli. Obviously, he had a fantastic 2023 and World Cup. Amid all the records he broke and the attention, we did not focus on how well he was batting. Technically, I have never seen Virat bat as well like that. The sound of the bat, that innings against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, I can name about five innings where he was getting in a good position. That is a good sign for Virat, India and Virat fans. It means that he is in a good mental space and his game is in good order,” said Nasser in a video released by ICC.
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I think it’s a massive year for Babar Azam and Pakistan: Nasser
After failing to do well in the ODI World Cup, Babar Azam relinquished his position as the skipper of the Pakistan team. Nasser expects him to concentrate on his batting and have a fantastic 2024. He mentioned that the Men in Green qualified for the finals of the T20 World Cup in 2022 and to get the job done this time around, Babar needs to be at his best.
“Another one, they are often compared. Babar Azam. I think it is a massive year for him and Pakistan. He has given up captaincy, that may be the weight off his shoulders. The biggest thing he can do for Pakistan cricket is get shed load of runs. They need him to get runs. There will be a T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. They got to the finals last time. They will need their ex-skipper to put in a real performance,” the 55-year-old said.