'We know how dominant...': Chris Gayle backs Virat Kohli ahead of T20 World Cup final against South Africa

NEW DELHI: Even though Virat Kohli is not playing well at the T20 World Cup, former West Indies opener and skipper Chris Gayle is not willing to "write off" the "special" player.
Kohli was in top notch form for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League 2024, but throughout the current edition of the premier tournament, Kohli has been looking for runs with his bat ever since landing in the USA and the West Indies.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma and previous players have trusted Virat Kohli to recover in the final against South Africa, despite his dismal run in the T20 World Cup.
Gayle, who also played for RCB alongside Kohli, supported the veteran batsman to recover and provide a show in the most important match of the T20 World Cup against South Africa.
"These things happen to superstars or world-class players such as Virat. We know how dominant he has been in previous World Cups. A bad patch, it can happen to anybody. But the good thing about it. He is in the final, and sometimes big players can be called upon and step up and win the actual game for the team as well. So you cannot write off a player like Virat Kohli without a doubt. We know how special he is, so we just have to wait and see what he delivers tomorrow," Gayle said during a media conference, according to ANI.

Kohli won the Orange Cap at the end of the 2024 Indian Premier League, after amassing an incredible 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, including five half-centuries.
However, he has been pursuing the ghosts of his past self in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Kohli's IPL statistics stand in stark contrast to his record.
Even with all of his expertise, Kohli has unable to consistently produce strong performances when opening with Rohit in seven games. Only 75 runs, with an average of 10.71, have been scored by him during the competition.
At the Kensington Oval on Saturday, India will meet South Africa in the final. A reserve day is scheduled in the event that rain prevents the game from happening.