Published 04:06 IST, December 7th 2019
'I focus on doing the job,' says Virat Kohli after powering India to an emphatic victory
Virat Kohli was at his aggressive best as he toyed around with West Indies bowlers to guide India to a comprehensive 6-wicket win in the first T20I in Hyderabad
Indian skipper Virat Kohli was at his aggressive best as he toyed around with West Indies bowlers to guide India to a comprehensive 6-wicket win in the first T20I in Hyderabad. Virat Kohli's unbeaten 94 along with KL Rahul’s stroke-filled 62, gunned down India's highest-ever T20I chase and taking a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Kohli explained why he struggled to find a rhythm at the start of his innings.
“All the young batsman watching don’t follow the first half of my batting. That was too bad and I was trying to hit too hard. I started to get going after that over from Jason. I analysed what went wrong and played accordingly in the second half of my innings,” said Kohli.
Furthermore, he stated that rather than entertaining the crowd with big six, he focuses on doing the job for the team.
“Whenever I play T20 cricket I am not someone who comes to the ground to hit the ball in the air to entertain the crowd. I focus on doing the job,” Kohli said.
“I don’t have to change much for formats. I just want to contribute in all three formats, that’s what I want to do. When you are chasing a big total, there are a lot of distractions with the scoreboard pressure. But after a few dots, the game puts you in a position where you just have to hold your shape and play the shots,” said skipper Kohli.
Chasing a huge total of 208, India lost the wicket of 'Hitman' Rohit Sharma early. Skipper Virat Kohli and KL Rahul added 100 runs for the second wicket stand. The visitors then struck back after removing Rahul (62) after which wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was involved in a 48-run third-wicket stand with Kohli. Even though Pant and Shreyas Iyer were dismissed quickly, the Indian skipper did not lose his focus and anchored the run chase well as he took the attack to the West Indian bowlers.
Updated 05:46 IST, December 7th 2019