Virat Kohli is taking his game to a different level in every series, and a player who was known for his boundary hitting and running between the wickets is now launching six after six, surprising former players and fans. In the IND vs WI 1st ODI, he scored his 55th ODI ton, with the help of 10 fours and 9 sixes as India secured an eight-wicket win. He amassed his runs at a strike rate of over 157, which is phenomenal even if the current standards of the game are taken into consideration.
Kohli is aiming to win the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. He knows the importance of dominating the bowlers from the start and finding ways to keep the scoreboard ticking. India captain Shubman Gill was at the other end when Kohli was going great guns, and the young opener hailed his teammate for the sensational knock. Gill scored a century, his 10th in the format, and added 151 runs with the senior batter of the side.
“He’s batting superbly, and I think he’s enjoying the game a lot more, playing with freedom. Those are the facts of his batting, and he always had the game, the ability to clear the boundary at will. He’s doing that right now. Someone like him, who’s won so many games for India- you let him be, and on the day he will win the matches for you,” Gill said.
Gill wanted to stay till the end but expressed satisfaction with his effort with the bat.
“Honestly, when I got out, I thought I should have finished the game; it was a satisfying innings for me,” he added.
Kuldeep Yadav was named the Player of the Match for taking four wickets, which restricted the West Indies to 295 for 7 in 50 overs. Gill was pleased with Kuldeep’s effort.
“Someone like Kuldeep, especially in the middle overs; if he is bowling well, he is a wicket-taker. We were on the back foot with their opening partnership; he got us back in the game. At one point, it looked like keeping them to 300 was great,” he mentioned.
Gill also opined on the team combination and why the team management went with eight batting options.
“Ideally, yes, we would like an eighth batting option. Someone who can contribute at least 20-30 runs. We weren’t able to get the scores we wanted, but we are open to trying different combinations to see what works for us.”