The debate surrounding Virat Kohli’s inclusion in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 has been going on for some time now. Ever since reports emerged there were doubts over Kohli’s spot for the mega event due to his recent lack of playtime, opinions have started pouring in.

The latest to come is from his Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate Glenn Maxwell. The Aussie all-rounder labelled Kohli as the ‘most clutch player he’s seen’ ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, slated to be held in June in the West Indies and USA

Speaking to ESPN, Maxwell said, “Virat Kohli is the most clutch player I have ever played against. The innings he played against us in Mohali during the 2016 T20 World Cup is still the best innings I have ever seen been played against me. His awareness of what he needs to do to win the game is just phenomenal. I hope India don’t pick him because it will be great to not come up against him.”

Glenn Maxwell reasons why Kohli is under tremendous pressure

Despite all the noise, the star batter has proved his mettle once again by starting IPL 2024 with a bang. Kohli is currently the leading run-scorer this season, having amassed 316 runs in five matches, averaging 105.33 while striking at 146.29. He has also registered two fifties and a century already in just five matches played so far.

Maxwell reasoned that the amount of pressure Kohli on Kohli isn’t surprising, given the vast population of the country and their love for cricket

Maxwell added, “It’s not surprising because there are 1.5 billion and I reckon half of them are unbelievable cricketers in this country (laughs). It’s a hard team to get into. You look at India’s top T20 players which are all playing in this tournament. They are phenomenal players and there should be heat on every player.”