Expressing his surprise, former India captain Virat Kohli remarked that he never envisioned cricket being played in any form in the United States of America (USA). Virat Kohli‘s comments came in response to the announcement that the USA will co-host the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, highlighting the sport’s expanding global reach.
In a historic debut, the United States will co-host the 2024 T20 World Cup alongside the West Indies. Scheduled from June 1 to June 29, the tournament’s highlight will be the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash, set to take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.
What Virat Kohli Said
Before boarding his flight to the US to join his teammates for the World Cup, Kohli engaged in an interaction with the United States Consulate General Mike Hankey in Mumbai. In addition to exchanging pleasantries, Kohli discussed cricket’s rising popularity in America during the meeting.
Kohli said in a video message,
“Honestly, I never thought we would be playing cricket in any form in the States. But now it’s a reality. And that tells you about the growing impact of the sport in the world and the United States is more than willing to accept the change and be probably the first ones on a global scale to accept it, in a way, with the World Cup.”
“I think it’s a great start. It’s the ideal way to begin and it’s going to have a huge impact, and in starting off a kind of a domino effect. I hope it carries on for a long period of time”
Kohli highlighted that with the Major Cricket League (MLC), franchise cricket has already begun to establish itself in the US. He affirmed that developments are heading in the right direction.
He said while concluding,
“We have enough people from our regions to keep the game up and alive in the States and make the others more aware about what it feels like to play and watch cricket. And I think it’s got great potential, with the MLC as well. There is already franchise cricket happening there. So I think, it’s moving in the right direction”
The United States will commence their journey in the 2024 T20 World Cup with a match against Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on June 1.
Virat Kohli’s record in the T20 World Cup
Kohli boasts an outstanding record in the Men’s T20 World Cup, emerging as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. Accumulating 1,141 runs in 25 innings at an impressive average of 81.50 and a strike rate of 131.30, he has notched up 14 half-centuries, with a top score of 89*.
During the 2022 edition held in Australia, the right-handed batter emerged as the leading run-scorer. In six innings, he amassed 296 runs at an impressive average of 98.67 and a strike rate of 136.41.
Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Virat Kohli Recalls Playing His First World Cup Match