Virat Kohli has T20 World Cup in his sights after match-winning effort for RCB in IPL 2024

Virat Kohli showed he still has fire in the belly as he steered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to victory against Punjab Kings in the IPL on Monday.

Kohli hit a well-paced 77 from 49 balls to help Royal Challengers chase down a target of 177 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium - their home ground.

It was a far from routine innings for Kohli as it showed he still had the hunger to succeed in the T20 format; his spot in India's T20 side has come under the scanner recently, with a growing belief that the team has too many 'anchors' and not enough power hitters.

The T20 World Cup begins in June in the Caribbean and the US - right after the IPL. And if Kohli has a bumper season, he would be an automatic selection, especially since national captain Rohit Sharma reportedly wants Kohli in the team.

Kohli averages more than 50 in T20 internationals and has a strike rate of almost 140, but still faces questions over his scoring rate. On Monday, the 35-year-old said he still has what it takes to succeed in the format.

"I know my name is nowadays quite attached to just promoting the game in many parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. But, I've still got it, I guess," Kohli said in his post-match conference.

What a finish