Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar has praised Virat Kohli’s disciplined and calculated approach after the star batter scored a match-winning century against South Africa in the first ODI in Ranchi.
Kohli was at his brilliant best, blasting 135 runs from just 120 deliveries to secure his 52nd ODI century on Sunday. His performance helped India to a 17-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the three-game ODI series against the Proteas.
Reflecting on Kohli’s technique and temperament, Gavaskar said the India talisman succeeds because he understands his own game better than anyone else.
“He is the type of batter who can’t go bang-bang straight away. Some batters can, but Kohli knows his game inside out, and he knows that’s not his strength. His strength is striking the ball through the covers, playing the straight drive and the flick. Yes, he’ll occasionally play the bottom-hand flick for six over square-leg or mid-wicket, but otherwise he plays in the ‘V’. That’s the safest way to bat, especially when the pitch may keep low or the ball may move around,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying on JioStar.
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Gavaskar also highlighted Kohli’s exceptional running between the wickets, which he believes remains a defining feature of the former captain’s batting.
“The running between the wickets is crucial, singles are the lifeblood of batting in any format. You keep taking singles and your innings keeps flowing. Even if the crowd wants quicker scoring, he bats as the team needs,” Gavaskar observed.
Kohli also shared a 136-run stand with former skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored 57. This partnership marked their 20th stand of 100 runs or more.
Notably, Kohli, playing his 306th ODI, and Rohit, playing in his 277th one-day international, combined for their 392nd international match together across formats, surpassing the legendary duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who appeared in 391 games between 1996 and 2012.
(With inputs from Agencies)
