ENG vs IND 2018: Virat Kohli Praises Match-Winners KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav

Indian team skipper Virat Kohli showered heaps of praises on star performers KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav following their eight-wicket win over England in the first T20I at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Kuldeep bagged 5-24 at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, including three wickets in his third over when he had Morgan (7) caught in the deep and Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root stumped by MS Dhoni for golden ducks, as England subsided from 95-1 just after the halfway mark to post 159-8.

Rahul (101 no from 54 balls) steered India to their target in 18.2 overs and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Kohli and opener Rohit Sharma also provided good support to Rahul.

Kohli, who struck the match-winning six off David Willey admitted Rahul had come a long way. He also revealed they want more batsmen to come up to provide flexibility in the line-up.

“KL is someone who has come a long way – he batted so clean, so crisp in the IPL and he has carried it forward,” he said. “We want guys like him to step up and make the batting stronger so we have the flexibility to move the other guys around the order. We don’t want to be one-dimensional, so KL allows the other guys to bat the way they want to around him. He has a good temperament, great technique and is very hungry. It’s a great sign for Indian cricket,” Kohli added.

Kohli lauds Kuldeep

Speaking about Kuldeep, Kohli admitted he would be effective on any pitches.

He also stressed Kuldeep is tough to pick which makes even more difficult to play.

“He is going to be effective on any kind of pitch and with a bit of assistance, he becomes even more lethal. Kuldeep can turn it away from you or right into you and I think it’s very difficult to pick. I hope he can keep batsmen guessing,” he concluded.

Also Read: Ireland’s Sean Terry announces shocking retirement at 26