T20 World Cup 2022: "Won't be surprised" - Suresh Raina backs Virat Kohli to be Player of the Tournament

Former cricketer Suresh Raina believes that Team India's star batter Virat Kohli could very well emerge as the Player of the Tournament in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

Speaking to news agency Aaj Tak on Saturday, Raina mentioned that he wouldn't be surprised if Kohli won the prestigious award at this year's showpiece event. The 33-year-old has delighted many with his fireworks with the bat at the T20 World Cup and has received widespread praise for his impressive showing.

Raina was quoted as saying:

"I won't be surprised if Virat Kohli wins Player Of The Tournament Award in this T20 World Cup."

Virat Kohli started off the competition with a splendid knock against Pakistan, taking India to a stunning four-wicket victory over their arch-rivals in a last-ball thriller. The seasoned campaigner notched up an unbeaten knock of 82 against the Men in Green's formidable bowling attack.

He backed it up with yet another impactful performance, slamming a fine unbeaten half-century against the Netherlands in India's ensuing clash. With 62 runs off 44 balls, Kohli was the highest run-scorer for his side in the encounter.

It is worth mentioning that the former Indian captain is yet to be dismissed at the T20 World Cup 2022. He has mustered 144 runs from his two appearances and has a fantastic strike rate of 148.45 to his name.

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Virat Kohli will next be seen in action on Sunday

The Indian cricket team will take on South Africa in the 30th match of the T20 World Cup 2022. The much-awaited match is set to be played at the Perth Stadium on Sunday, October 30.

Rohit Sharma and Co. are currently the table-toppers in Group 2 after having won their first two fixtures. They have four points in their tally along with a net run rate of 1.425.

South Africa, on the other hand, have managed three points from two and are placed second. A high-octane encounter between the two cricketing sides is on the cards, given the star-studded line-ups.

The Proteas battled it out against India in a three-match T20I series ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022. The Indian side performed admirably, securing a brilliant 2-1 victory in the home series.