T20 World Cup final: Aiden Markram remains cagey about bowling plans against Virat Kohli

South Africa captain Aiden Markram remained coy about his team’s strategy against star Indian Virat Kohli in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados. The tournament’s top two teams will be the last ones standing and for the first time in the tournament’s short history, an undefeated team will be crowned T20 World Cup champions. India, who are keen to end their ICC trophy drought since 2014, will take on South Africa, who have created history by reaching their first ever World Cup final, whether in the 50-over or 20 -was over sized. South Africa will look to make this milestone even more special by winning the title.

Kohli, who had an impressive season with the RCB in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) and won the Orange Cap with 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, has struggled to maintain this form replicate in the T20 World Cup. Despite his stellar IPL performances, which include a century and five half-centuries, Kohli has managed just 75 runs at an average of 10.71 in seven matches in the ongoing tournament.

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There was a brief moment of hope when Kohli hit a ball over mid-wicket for six off Reece Topley, signaling a possible return to form. However, Topley soon dismissed him, exposing Kohli’s continued struggles. While Rohit Sharma has been in good form, scoring 248 runs, including a blistering 92 off 41 balls against Australia, with an average above 40, Kohli’s performances have been disappointing. He has two ducks and just two double-digit scores in seven matches, which is a stark contrast to his IPL success.

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Markram acknowledged Kohli’s prowess but dismissed concerns over the Indian star’s lack of form in the tournament. “It’s the big final and we all know what kind of player he’s been. So you kind of plan and are you worried about the fact that he hasn’t scored any runs in the tournament? I mean, I don’t think it worries me,” Markram said, speaking to the media.

Markram further elaborated on the respect for Kohli’s abilities while highlighting the depth of the Indian batting line-up. “He’s a great player, as we all know, but they have their entire batting unit full of great players. Cricket is a game of ups and downs. You’re not always going to get it right, especially as a batsman. We just do that. ” our planning, do our preparation from a planning meeting perspective for those hitters. Hopefully we can get that right on the day,” he added.