T20 World Cup: Kohli will deliver when it matters the most, will be among runs, says Ishant

India pacer Ishant Sharma has backed Virat Kohli to be among the runs in the T20 World Cup 2022. Since Ishant has played with Kohli from a young age, he is confident that the former India captain will deliver for India when it matters the most.

In his last 10 innings, Kohli has recorded three half-centuries and a hundred – that ended his century drought that had lasted for over 1,000 days. It was also Kohli's maiden T20I century, which he scored against Afghanistan at the recently-concluded Asia Cup in the UAE.

Team India is scheduled to begin their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign by taking on arch-rivals Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday (Oct. 23).

"I have played so much cricket with him since childhood and I know that he will perform exactly how the team needs him to perform. If they require quick innings from him, he will deliver. If they need somebody to bat through the innings, he can do that, too.

"He'll never think about individual accolades, he's a team man. It just depends on the kind of role that he is given. He's been in good form recently, so I am confident that he's going to score runs during the World Cup," Ishant told Betway.com.

Ishant, who last played for India in 2021 during their home Test series against New Zealand, has also said that the Men in Blue have the perfect mixture of youth and experience going into the World Cup.

"With Virat, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik, I think they have a nice experienced core. You need plenty of exuberance and energy in T20, but you have to have that experience for when you find yourselves in a tough situation. India has lots of players very used to winning games of T20 cricket," said Ishant.

T20 World Cup: Rishabh Pant can win you games single-handedly, says Ishant Sharma

The fast bowler has also praised Rishabh Pant, saying the wicketkeeper-batsman has the ability to win any game single-handedly as he just backs his talent and does not fall for the pressure of the situation.

"If Rishabh gets a chance to turn a game on its head, he will do it. He can win you games single-handedly. He has that kind of impact. We have seen in international cricket that when his team is five wickets down, he will still play his shots and carry on in the same fashion as always. He is never too afraid to play the way he plays.

"Every bowler is under pressure against him because he doesn't think about what the situation is, he just backs his talent. He could have a very big tournament because he won't let the pressure get to him," added Ishant, who has played 14 T20Is for India.

T20 World Cup: It will be tough to stop Suryakumar, says Ishant

Ishant also believes that it will be difficult for the bowlers to stop the in-form Suryakumar Yadav from scoring freely. Since his debut last year, only Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan (1,950) have scored more runs than Suryakumar (1,045). The Indian batsman has scored the runs at an incredible strike-rate of 176.81, while he has also recorded nine fifties and a century in this period.

Speaking of Surya, Ishant said, "He's very difficult to bowl to. I think in the last few months he has changed his game a bit. He's gone from being a good player to someone who is a 360-degree player.

"As a bowler, he doesn't give you any kind of option. He plays with the field brilliantly and makes you feel like it's impossible to stop him from scoring."

Meanwhile, Ishant has also reckoned that bowlers will be crucial in India's success in the T20 World Cup Down Under.

"The grounds are so big in Australia that it can be easier to pick up wickets. You can at least have some sort of margin for error as a bowler. In India, you have no margin because the boundaries are 60 or 70 meters. You have to be so spot on in your execution. With my bowler's hat on, this gives us a better chance," added Ishant, who has played 105 Tests, 80 ODIs, and 14 T20Is for India.

IND vs PAK: Players treat it like any other game, reckons Ishant

Ahead of India's big game against Pakistan, Ishant has admitted that the players do not get carried away by the emotions that come along with these fixtures and they treat it as any other match.

"To be honest, as players, we don't think: 'Right, we're playing Pakistan.' The match is just like any other for us in terms of the way we approach it. We understand the hype around the match but we are used to it now.

"I think what the public doesn't see is that there is plenty of respect between the players of both teams. The players gel together – they talk about cricket, and they talk about their families. But I can also understand why there is so much excitement around India when we play Pakistan. There are parties, there's a great atmosphere and it's a big event. And both teams really want to win, of course," added Ishant, who has played 12 international games against Pakistan.

While many, including Ishant, believe India are one of the favourites, the fast bowler feels England and Australia can challenge and possibly end India's expedition to win their first title since 2007.

"Australia and England," Ishant responded when asked about other teams that can challenge for the World Cup.

"I think they're the teams that can put you under pressure regardless of what situation they're in. They just keep going hard. The opening batters sum that up best. David Warner and Jos Buttler are IPL legends. People love them because they've performed really well for their franchises over a long period of time.

"They can put bowlers under pressure from any situation and are a big part of why I think their teams can challenge India for the title," added Ishant.

After the game against Pakistan, India are scheduled to take on the other Team 2 members: Netherlands, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.