Kohli's Statement Amid Career Rumour: "Haven't Played Like This In 2-3 Years"

Virat Kohli ended the ODI series against South Africa with yet another 50+ score. Following a Player of the Series-winning performance, Indian batting icon Virat Kohli admitted that he has "not played like this in two or three years" and that his century at Ranchi in the first ODI "opened him in a way he had not felt in a while." Kohli rolled back the clock throughout the series, channelling the vibes, aggression, and shot-making of the 2016-19 era, considered his best statistically-scoring 302 runs in three matches at an average of 151.00 and a free-flowing strike rate of 117.05. His tally included two centuries: a 120-ball 135 at Ranchi, followed by a 93-ball 102 at Raipur, and a fluent 65* off 45 balls in the series decider.

"Honestly, playing the way I have in the series is the most satisfying thing for me. I feel really free in my mind. I don't think I have played at this level for a good 2-3 years now. The game is coming together nicely," Kohli said after the match.

"I know when I can bat like that in the middle, it helps the team in a big way. Then I can bat long, I can bat according to the situation. Just being confident in any situation makes me feel I can handle it and bring it in favour of the team."

He was also asked about the "patch" when a player starts questioning himself.

"When you play for that long-15-16 years-you are going to have many phases when you doubt your ability. Especially as a batter, because you are literally relying on one mistake, so you tend to go into a space where you feel like 'maybe I am not good enough.' That's the beauty of sport, especially batting, where you have to keep overcoming the fear every ball," Kohli said.

"It's a whole journey of getting better and growing as a person along the way. It improves you as a person and it improves temperament as well. I'm just glad that I'm still able to contribute to the team. I have had many phases where I have doubted myself, and I have not been shy in accepting that. It's a very human part of any player who has competed for that long."

Kohli was also asked about his six-hitting spree. "When I play freely, I know I can hit sixes. There are always levels you can unlock," he said.

The former Indian cricket team captain rated the first century in Ranchi as his best innings. "The first one at Ranchi-because I hadn't played a game since Australia. Just how your energy is on the day, Ranchi was very special for me and I'm very grateful for how these three games have gone. It's always brought the best out of us-that's what we want to play for. When it's 1-1, we want to do something special for the team. That's why we have played for the team for so long. I'm just happy that both of us continue to do it for so long," he said

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/6cMvdum