Virat Kohli once again showed his class in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. The former Indian captain scored a fine 93 runs from 91 balls during India’s run chase. His knock helped India move closer to the target and set the tone for the middle overs.
With this performance, Kohli won his 45th Player of the Match award in international cricket. He is now behind only Sanath Jayasuriya, who has 48 awards, and Sachin Tendulkar, who leads the list with 62.
Kohli shared a crucial 118-run partnership with Shubman Gill. He later added 77 runs with Shreyas Iyer. His innings came to an end in the 40th over when Kyle Jamieson dismissed him. Still, his contribution proved vital in India’s victory.
After the match, Kohli was asked if he keeps track of his Player of the Match awards. His reply brought smiles.
Virat Kohli speaks on awards, journey, and batting mindset
“No, honestly, I have no idea. I send it to my mum in Gurgaon. She likes keeping all the trophies. She feels proud of it,” Virat Kohli said in the post-match presentation.
Kohli also spoke about his long journey in international cricket. He expressed gratitude for everything he has achieved and credited God for his success.
“Well, honestly. If I look back at my whole journey, it is nothing short of a dream come true for me. I have always mentioned that I have always known my abilities. How much ability I had when I came in, and I had to work a lot more to get to the place where I am today. God has blessed me with way too much for me to complain about anything. I feel nothing but gratitude. I always look at my journey with a lot of grace and a lot of gratitude in my heart and I feel proud about it,” said Kohli.
He also explained his mindset while batting at number three.
“Well, the basic idea is I bat at number 3. If the situation is tricky, I back myself to counterattack now rather than to play the situation. Because some ball has your name on it, no point waiting for it. You back yourself enough to put the pressure back on the back foot,” Kohli said.
“Honestly, if I am brutally honest about the way I am playing right now, I am not thinking about the milestones at all. Like, if we were batted first today, I would have gone a bit harder. Even with the chase, with a total on the board, I had to kind of buckle down. The experience kicks in but I just wanted to take the team in a winning position,” he added.
