New Delhi: Shedding the self-imposed anchor role that defined much of his career, senior India batter Virat Kohli on Saturday revealed he has consciously unlocked a new layer of ‘freedom’ in his 50-over batting approach to help India consistently push past the 350-run benchmark.
Kohli, who will turn 38 in November, has been playing ODIs with a renewed sense of vigour. His tally over the past 18 months reflects that freshness – punctuated by three centuries, four fifties, and a score over 90 in his last 10 ODI appearances alone.
“What’s changed is, firstly, I promised myself that I’m going to play more freely. I’m not going to worry about the expectations that people might have around me. My role had always been, for a long period of time, that I’m going to stabilise things. I know I can play; I know I can hit shots.
“But the demands are such that if it’s a tricky situation…you eventually get into a space where you’re like, ‘I can hit, but I’ve been given a role’. Now, the game is changing in a way that, especially if the conditions are fast-paced and good, and other teams are looking to push you towards 340–350, we should be able to get 350–360 as well,” Kohli told JioStar ahead of India’s first ODI against West Indies, to be played in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
Crucial to this tactical shift, Kohli pointed out, is his complete trust in India’s long batting lineup. “I’m very willing to take risks now because I know that if I make runs there, we’ll get 350–360 easily. And if I do that and play longer, then I can hit more at the end.”
“I had to unlock a little bit of that freedom in my own mind. That’s also helped me in the IPL as well… because I’m not thinking that if I get out, the situation might get difficult for us. I have faith in the fact that other players around me are very good and will be able to handle the situation,” he added.
Delving into the contrasting physical and mental demands across formats, Kohli drew a sharp line between bilateral 50-over matches and the gruelling environment of a World Cup. “T20 cricket in bilateral series was very different from World Cups. The intensity of the World Cup was extreme. ODIs are quite simple.
“Bilateral series run at a certain intensity, and you’re always working towards a big competition… figuring out combinations and giving players game time under pressure. The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater because now it’s about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity. To maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament… especially in foreign conditions, is a big deal. It takes a lot out of you,” he added.
Kohli credited his rigorous physical training for allowing him to sustain peak performance through such long campaigns. “I am placed very well today because of the work I have put in physically. I feel like I can sustain that kind of intensity for 10 games easily if I continue to keep working hard on my fitness,” he said.
Kohli also shared his thoughts on captain Shubman Gill’s ongoing evolution in the leadership role, and praised the young opener’s tactical sharpness and proactive field placements. “Shubman, the captain, is still learning. He is still young in the role, but he has got the right perspective and the right kind of intensity to lead the Indian team.
“He thinks of ways to get batters out in the field, which is always a sign of doing something different or staying a step ahead. He is not shy to use different kinds of fields, put guys under pressure, communicate the same to the bowlers, and bring in a certain kind of bowling attack,” he added.
Kohli signed off by expressing confidence that with match time, Gill’s decision-making under high-pressure scenarios will only refine further. “With more experience and understanding situations, the kind of calls you take are things that he will keep working on and improving… But he has got the desire to lead the Indian cricket team in the right way, which is the most important factor. So, I see him leading for a long time.”
Watch the first ODI of West Indies’ tour of India on September 27, from 2 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.
(IANS)
