Brilliant show

Sir - The West Indies won the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in a thrilling match. However, the match between India and Australia is fresh in the memory. Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the rest of the Indian cricket team ought to be lauded for the marvellous win against Australia ("Ace of chase", March 28). Kohli has proved that he is a one-man army. It is not often that cricket lovers get to witness India achieve such a heart-stopping win over Australia. Kohli has become the backbone of India's batting line-up. He scored an unbeaten 82 runs off 51 balls. His knock made it possible for India to beat the Aussies. Kohli knows how to read a situation on the field, and he plays accordingly to score runs. He takes everything as a challenge and wants to contribute to each game. Cricket lovers and experts all over the world praised him. Kohli is quickly becoming as good as the other top cricketers in the world. It would be safe to call him the next "Mr Dependable".

Although India could not win the semi-final against West Indies, Kohli performed well. If Team India is to continue winning, every player will have to contribute to the team.

Yours faithfully,

Vinod C. Dixit, Ahmedabad

Sir - India achieved a stunning victory against Australia to book a place in the semi-final of the World T20 championship, even though the team was beaten by the West Indies in the semi-final. Virat Kohli's splendid knock of 82 runs against Australia helped India chase down a daunting target of 161 runs. He performed well in the death overs of the match. India needed 39 runs in the last three overs - Kohli scored 32 runs off the last 11 balls he faced. The winning runs, however, were scored by the skipper, M.S. Dhoni. He finished the game with a boundary. But Kohli was the hero - he was declared the man of the match. Yuvraj Singh, too, played well. He contributed 21 runs in a partnership with Kohli, but failed to bat consistently owing to a leg injury. Dhoni played well under pressure and scored an unbeaten 18 runs.

James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile were hit all over the park by Kohli. The required run rate at that time had climbed above 10 runs per over. Kohli injected life into the game. In terms of batting, Australia and New Zealand were far ahead of India, but after India's matches against Australia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is safe to say that India is one of the best cricket teams in the world.

Yours faithfully,

Ashim Kumar Chakraborty, Guwahati

Sir - India's run chase against the Aussies at Mohali on March 27 was incredible; Virat Kohli made the match even more memorable. He has certainly become the most reliable Indian batsman when it comes to chasing totals in the T20 format. Kohli has a unique combination of composure and aggression; this makes him a potent threat to any opposition. His blistering knock against the Australians involved a number of classic cricketing shots. It was a treat to watch him challenge the mighty Aussies in difficult conditions and ultimately defeat them. One hopes that he keeps performing well, because he is the most promising player that India can boast of at present in any format of the game.

Yours faithfully,

Kisholoy Roy, Calcutta

Sir - The thrilling win against a strong Australian team took India into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. India batted second; the mesmerizing knock by the ace batsman, Virat Kohli, brought down the required run rate and kept it within a comfortable range. Many people gave Kohli full credit for winning the match. However, one must not forget the efforts of M.S. Dhoni, who constantly supported Kohli by taking quick singles. Dhoni, too, is capable of steering India to victory in difficult times. One must not forget the match against New Zealand, when the Indian batsmen, including Kohli, failed to put up a high score; it was Dhoni who kept up the fight.

There is no doubt that Kohli helped chase the large score put up by Australia. But India could not have entered the semi-final without defeating Bangladesh; that win was achieved with Dhoni's help. In cricket, each game is unique. India cannot expect a big innings from Kohli every time. He has to keep calm. Comparing Kohli with the legendary Sunil Gavaskar or Sachin Tendulkar is not right at this stage. He has a long way to go before he can be compared with them. Kohli must not be swayed by the appreciation he has received for his performance against Australia.

Yours faithfully,

Benu Kumar Bose, Calcutta