What's the story?
In his column for BBC Sport, AB de Villiers elucidated the different facets of Virat Kohli's cricketing life ahead of Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan tomorrow. This South African skipper offered his insights about his Indian counterpart. He glorified the leadership and persona that has evolved in Kohli over the years.
“He is a consummate surgeon at the crease, intensely focused, working hard, playing the ball into gaps in the field and staying calm under pressure. He is always judging the right time to consolidate and the right time to seize a game by the scruff of the neck,” wrote de Villiers. Discussing Kohli's batting he added, “The sheer volume of his runs leaves no room for debate. Virat has scored 8,008 runs in 183 one-day internationals, at an average of 54.47, and this week moved to the top of the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen.”
Also read: Stats: Virat Kohli becomes the fastest to 8,000 ODI runs
He also mentioned that amidst the sublime batting line-up of the Indian team, Pakistan will have to apprehend the sheer importance of resisting Virat from taking control of the game.
In case you didn't know...
India and Pakistan reached the finals of the Champions Trophy, 2017 after defeating Bangladesh and England respectively. This is the first time that Virat Kohli is leading the Indian team in an ICC tournament and the defending champions reached the finals with just one defeat. South Africa, however, faced elimination from the competition after losing to India in a virtual quarterfinal in the final group game.
AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli share a great equation as the two best-ranked batsmen in the cricket universe play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL. Since the two are teammates, de Villiers is aware of the amount of physical and mental hard work Kohli puts in the game. Kohli is also the captain of RCB which gives an upper hand to de Villiers in laying down the details of his captaincy.
The heart of the matter
AB de Villiers stated that this tournament has witnessed Kohli in his best form, crediting his unbeaten 81 against Pakistan, a victorious 76 against South Africa and the commanding 96 not out in the semifinals against Bangladesh. He also expressed his admiration for Kohli's hard-work and dedication to the game which amplified the natural skills he had. Describing his practice sessions, de Villiers said that Kohli practises his strokes multiple times and never leaves the net practice till he satisfied with every aspect of the game.
Kohli's aggressive approach to the game is not behind the veils in the cricket fraternity. The South African skipper also took this chance to communicate the difference that one can see in Kohli on the field. He said that Kohli has the right blend between having fun, playing the sport and remaining calm under pressure which helps him to focus on the game even when he falls under the burdens of unrealistic expectations every time.
He also said that Kohli is one of the most popular faces in the subcontinent and that is bound to carry its own drawbacks. However, Kohli has mastered the art of striking a balance between the perks and adversities of the stardom that his commitment to the game has brought about.
What's next?
The two Asian powerhouses, India and Pakistan, will face each other in the finals of Champions Trophy. The two arch-rivals commenced their journey in this tournament with a match against each other in which India defeated Pakistan by 124 runs and levelled the victory ratio with Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
If Pakistan win the finals tomorrow, they will lift the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time. Whereas, if India wins the finals then the defending champions will become the first ever side to lift the trophy for the third time thereby, turning into the most successful team in the history of the tournament.
Author's take
Regardless of being rivals in the sport, the two best batsmen of this generation are good friends, courtesy to IPL where both don the same jersey. Kohli and de Villiers lead the chart in ICC rankings of batsmen for ODI. The two constantly appreciate each other's phenomenal game every time they are on the field.
Looking up to the contemporaries and learning from them regardless of being one of the best himself defines sportsman spirit to its best. ABD's expressions about Kohli gives us details about his physical and mental preparation from the perspective of another player who he has encountered both as his ally and rival.
Both these cricketers share a good rapport on and off the field. It is evident that they never let go of a chance to learn from the other. Hence, one of the best being studied by his other from the same pool of excellence is a delight for the fans of the sport.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
