Cricket World Cup 2015: Brian Lara Backs Virat Kohli to Deliver in Knockouts

Virat Kohli has stayed in the shadows even as India knocked off all their six group-stage opponents to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. After his 107 against Pakistan in their opening game at the Adelaide Oval, Kohli managed another 194 runs from the next five matches, without a single fifty to his name. He aggregates 301 and does not even find a place in the top-10 run-scorers in the tournament. However, West Indian legend Brian Lara felt the Indian batting mainstay will deliver once the World Cup gets into the business-end from this week.(Kohli a Role-Model for Youngsters: Whatmore)

Kohli may not have scored plenty of runs but he has looked in dangerous form. While the innings against West Indies was carved out on a fast Perth pitch when the rest of the batting caved in, his blistering 44 not out followed against Ireland, who were the first team to set India a total of over 250 in this World Cup.(Ashwin Underrated: Chappell)

Lara, one of the most gifted batsmen of his generation, said a big knock from the dashing Delhi batsman was somewhere around the corner: "Kohli has got one hundred so far and maybe he has been a little lukewarm, but he looks ominous. He is a big-game player and the World Cup is getting into that stage now," Lara told NDTV on Monday. "I know what he is capable of and I think he is going to be outstanding for the remainder of the tournament."(NDTV Experts' Top World Cup Players)

India meet Bangladesh in the quarters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 19. The last time these two sides met in a World Cup (in the opening game in 2011), Kohli scored a century in Dhaka and partnered Virender Sehwag to set up a huge score. India's opening combination has not clicked yet and Kohli would relish the opportunity to bat for a considerable time against the Bangla attack.

While Kohli has been 'lukewarm', opener and fellow Delhi player Shikhar Dhawan has been in destructive form. The stylish left-handed batsman has so far amassed 337 runs, with hundreds against South Africa and Ireland and a fluent half-century against Pakistan. He shrugged off the poor form that haunted him before the World Cup and Lara feels Dhawan would be crucial to India's chances going ahead. "I love Dhawan's cockiness and his confidence. That's a big part of any batsman, especially an opening batsman. India need that and I think he is going to be a force to reckon with in the remaining matches of the World Cup," he said.(Unfair to Compare me With Kohli: Akmal)

Dhawan also drew praise from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who told NDTV that his partnership with Kohli against Pakistan set the tone for MS Dhoni's men in the World Cup. "Dhawan was unfortunately run out against Pakistan but his partnership with Kohli set the tone for India in this tournament. And then he followed that knock up with a brilliant hundred against South Africa - against Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. And he did it at the MCG - the boundaries are huge over there. The sixes that he hit over there were terrific.('Primitive to Call me Kohli's Distraction')

"That was just the kind of batting that India know he is capable of. Now he has shown the world what he can do as well."