Virat Kohli affirms love for ODI cricket, embracing challenges and adapting to situations
Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has spoken about his strong affinity for one-day cricket, highlighting how the format brings out the best in him by testing his all-around skills, adaptability, and strategic decision-making.
One-day cricket is a format that the star Indian batsman Virat Kohli has professed a strong fondness for, stressing how it severely tests a player’s all-around abilities while highlighting the technical difficulties, strategic judgements, and adaptability needed throughout the game.
In the world of 50-over cricket, Kohli has a stellar resume. His ODI career is highlighted by an astounding 46 hundreds. The 34-year-old ran for 427 runs in the 10 one-day internationals he played in 2023, averaging 53.37, with a best score of 166 not out.
In an interview with Star Sports, Kohli claimed that ODI cricket has always brought out the best in him since it forces him to accept difficulties and modify his performance in order to support the team’s success.
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“I love playing ODI cricket. I think for me, ODI cricket is probably the one format that tests your game completely. Your technique, composure, patience, playing the situation, and playing differently in different phases of the game. So, I think it tests you as a batsman completely, and I feel that ODI cricket has always brought the best out of me because I like to embrace that challenge and play according to the situation to help my team win.
“I have always tried to do that, so yeah, as I said, it gives me an opportunity to test myself regularly, all aspects of my batting, and that’s why I really enjoy playing ODI cricket,” said Kohli.
On the other hand, Mohammad Kaif, a former cricketer for India, spoke about Kohli’s outstanding play in recent competitions, particularly against Pakistan. He highlighted Kohli’s significant effect during the T20 World Cup in Australia and commended his capacity to assume leadership during chases.
“Absolutely, in my opinion, his performance in Australia at the T20 World Cup, against Pakistan, he played magnificently. And Virat Kohli is a brilliant batsman when it comes to playing against Pakistan. He takes full responsibility and is a chase master. The form that he had in that World Cup was because of his performances in the Asia Cup (2022), starting from that century he hit against Afghanistan.
“He had a dry run before that, but after his performances in the Asia Cup, he did not stop, he won matches, even the match against Pakistan in Australia. Those memories will still linger in the minds of the Pakistani bowlers. They will be wary of Kohli and know what a big wicket he is. They will know that if they get him out, the match becomes a lot easier. But the form he is in, the pressure will always be on the bowlers.
“And the fact that he has played the Pakistani bowlers in their last match at the T20 World Cup, he will know how every Pakistani bowler bowls, whether it is Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, or Haris Rauf. Kohli will know how to play them, he will know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Kohli will be very dangerous against Pakistan,” Kaif told Star Sports.
Kohli will next be seen in action in the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023, as team India begin their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2.