IND vs SA: Virat Kohli One Of The Best Chase Masters In The World; His Consistency Is Amazing- Ajay Jadeja

Virat Kohli was instrumental in India’s three-match T20I series victory against Australia in the last game at Hyderabad. Virat’s 48-ball 63 helped the home team defeat Australia’s challenging target of 187 to win the series 2-1. 

It was a delight to see the two batsmen go about their work of attacking the visitors’ bowling, which included players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Cameron Green among others, during their 104-run partnership with the dynamic hitter Suryakumar Yadav (69).

Having recently returned to the team after having a month off to rest and recover, Kohli was in his best batting form ever at the Asia Cup in the UAE. 

It’s Always Been The Solidarity Of Virat Kohli Not Striking Ability: Ajay Jadeja

Ajay Jadeja, a former cricketer for India, described Virat Kohli as one of the finest chase masters in the game and added that the stability the former skipper gives the squad is just unmatched.

“I mean that’s the key to Indian cricket. I mean it’s been that for a while, for a long time. I mean there was a period where Virat Kohli would score runs and if there was anything, MS Dhoni would finish it off at the end,” Jadeja said while speaking on Cricbuzz. 

“But now with the personnel changing around Virat Kohli it’s made it easier for him and it’s made it easier for everyone else around him to play at a whole different ball game and the solidity that Virat Kohli provides and for me it’s always been the solidity of Virat Kohli not the striking ability.

That’s why he was a chase master. He is a chase master. He understands the pace of the game. He may not have the striking ability that a lot of players have around the world and in that Indian team but there is no one else that I know who has the consistency of Virat Kohli.” 

“So if consistency is what you want, this is your man and he’s not shown it today, he’s been showing it to you for 10, 12, 15 years. It’s just that when you expect him to do what the others do, that’s when the trouble begins,” he further added. 

Questions were raised over Kohli’s position in the Indian T20I team before to the Asia Cup 2022 since he was going through a protracted lean period. The former captain, who concluded the six-team event with 276 runs from five innings at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 147.50, including one century and two fifties, silenced his detractors. 

It Was More Mental: Ajay Jadeja On Virat Kohli’s Decline

Ajay Jadeja argues that Kohli’s decline in performance was more psychological than anything related to his “game.” 

“You know we heard just before that Asia cup when he came out and talked about his issues. It was never the game, it was more mental and once you get over that barrier it just releases you and ever since then he’s just carried on doing what he does best.

Of course, that hundred came which surprised him more than anyone else because this format is not what he was expecting it to do it. But it just takes the monkey off the bag you know.

That number of that 100 was there so now even if it’s not 100 ,if it’s a 30 it looks good, it’s 60, looks good, everything else looks good. I think he’s found within that team a confidence that this team has had with players.”

“A lot of people don’t agree with how they play or what the style is going to be but they seem to be happy in that position, they would like to play like that.

I think that’s the ultimate because if you as players believe in something even if it’s wrong or right, somebody else may think it’s wrong or but unless you believe it’s right, it’s not going to happen as often as some you’re doing it because somebody else believes this right.

Yes, this is this is one thing that you see out of this team coming out,” he remarked. 

The three-match T20I series against South Africa, which begins on September 28 in Thiruvananthapuram, will now see Virat Kohli in action. 

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