‘Our Goal is to win the 20-20 World Cup’ – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have a freewheeling chat after the Afghanistan game- Watch
Virat Kohli scored his 71st Century against Afghanistan.
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Sep 9, 2022 2:22 pm
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma- Source (Twitter)
Virat Kohli finally broke the jinx and scored his 71st international century on Thursday. The blue-eyed boy in Indian cricket, Virat Kohli came back to his old self in the match against Afghanistan. He smashed 122 runs off 61 balls and brought up his much-awaited century.
The big score from Kohli allowed India to put up 212 runs on board as Afghanistan bowlers failed to tame the former captain. India, in the end, won the match by 101 runs. The Indian team and management would be thrilled to see Kohli back in form ahead of the the 20-20 World Cup.
After the match, skipper Rohit Sharma, who was rested for the game, sat down with Virat Kohli and the terrific duo indulged in a candid conversation with each other. Rohit Sharma congratulated him for his massive hundred. He appreciated Kohli for picking the right bowlers and playing the right kind of shots in the middle and then asked about Virat’s take on his innings.
Virat Kohli, who previously spoke about his break, focused on how it helped him to take a fresh perspective and build to that. He thanked his teammates and support staff for a clear communication and also said how the team is now eyeing for the T20 World Cup.
“It was a special day for us as a team. After the last game, we were talking about the kind of attitude we need to show in this match. We got the exposure of the knock-out stage and pressure situations in this tournament. However, everyone knows that our goal is to win in Australia. So, we are improving for that. Personally, I took a break after 12-13 or 14 years of cricket when I didn’t touch the bat. A lot of things came into perspective. I had proper communication from the players and management, and they let me bat freely. The space was very important for me,” said Virat Kohli in a video released by the Indian Cricket Board.
Kohli also revealed how he and none of his teammates believed that he will score his 71st century in this format of the game. “I am pleasantly surprised and very grateful” is what the ‘King’ of the cricketing world said after that special knock.
“Your biggest strength is of course your work ethic and never to let it go, no matter what the situation is. That was evident in the three matches that you have played. In T20 cricket, we talk about big-hitting and all of that but that was a perfect example of how to craft your innings without focusing too much on big hitting. That was wonderful to see,” said Rohit Sharma after Virat’s hundred.
Kl Rahul came back to form over the course of the Asia Cup and Virat Kohli believed that this will strengthen the Indian side going into the 20-20 World Cup.
“We should not ignore his knock. We know how important it is for KL to be in a good space heading into the World Cup. We all know what he can do in this format. He plays very clean shots, very solid shots. Once he bats well in T20 cricket, our team looks even strong. We know how confident we are as a team and I’m sure good things will happen in the future,” said the 33-year-old.
