Virat Kohli shares his approach to batting post Australia heroics
What's the story
India's cricketing stalwart Virat Kohli recently led his team to a stunning victory against Australia in the ongoing Champions Trophy semi-final.
The ace batsman scored an impressive 84 runs off 98 balls, including five boundaries and a few singles and doubles.
This stellar innings not only highlighted his exceptional run-chasing skills but also reaffirmed his unwavering passion for the game.
Speaking in a video by BCCI post-game, Kohli spoke about his renewed approach towards his game.
Here's more.
Passion
Kohli's philosophy: Love for cricket fuels performance
As mentioned, post-match, Kohli spoke about his love for cricket and batting.
He said, "As long as love for the game and batting is alive, all other things can take care of themselves."
This shows how much he believes in passion to deliver on the field.
"For me, at this stage of my career, it is about getting up for these games, getting excited, coming out here, hopefully doing the job for the team," he further spoke about his mindset.
Teamwork
Kohli emphasizes teamwork in India's semifinal victory
Kohli also emphasized on the importance of teamwork in their semi-final win.
"As a team, you feel good when people step up through the innings," he stated.
He credited Hardik Pandya for his crucial shots, KL Rahul for his outstanding performance, and Shreyas Iyer for a fine partnership.
"All-around effort counts," he said, emphasizing that every player's contribution is vital to the team's success.
This statement reflects Kohli's belief in collective effort over individual brilliance on the cricket field.
Final preparation
India gear up for ICC Champions Trophy final
India are now gearing up to take on New Zealand or South Africa in the Champions Trophy final.
Additionally, Kohli's stellar performance in the semifinal earned him the Player of the Match title.
The team is looking forward to the challenge, with Kohli expressing confidence that their hard work will yield positive results more often than not.
Match recap
India beat Australia to reach third successive final
As mentioned, India beat Australia in Dubai to reach the Champions Trophy final.
They successfully chased down 265 after bowling Australia out after being asked to bowl first.
Kohli, Iyer (45), KL Rahul (42*), and Pandya (28) starred in India's run-chase.
Earlier, Mohammed Shami thwarted Australia with three wickets (3/48) while he supported with two scalps each from Ravindra Jadeja (2/40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/49).
Meanwhile, Steve Smith (73) and Alex Carey's (61) fifties went in vain.
Numbers
A look at Kohli's ODI numbers
Kohli is arguably the greatest batter in ODI cricket.
He recently became the third player with 14,000-plus runs in the format.
Kohli now owns 14,180 runs at 58.11, including a strike rate of 93.35.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli boasts 51 tons and 74 fifties in 301 ODIs. Notably, across 289 innings, his highest score is 183.