Vijay Hazare Trophy: When India played the first ODI at Ranchi, among the 22 players from both sides – Virat Kohli stood out. And it was his stunning levels of fitness that made him the standout performer.
He was always looking for an extra run as a batter and his non-striker – be it Rohit Sharma, Washington Sundar or KL Rahul – had to turn it down. But Kohli always wanted that extra run, just going to show the hunger in him to do well and succeed.
Kohli Should Snub BCCI’s Absurd Desire
He ended up scoring his 52nd ODI century. He scored 135 off 120 balls. Despite not having played international cricket for regularly, he never looked rusty or out of form. If that is not greatness – what is? He has featured in over 300 ODIs and has scored 14390 at an average of 58.02. These are surreal numbers. He is 37 and he understands his body better than most. He exactly understands what his body needs after years of playing cricket at the highest level. At the post-match presentation in Ranchi, he highlighted that point when he said he is not a big believer of preparation. He also said that a lot of his cricket is ‘mental’. He surely knows what he is talking. Shouldn’t the yardstick of judging a cricketer be performance?
Away from the limelight, he is leading a quiet life in the United Kingdom – why does the BCCI want to get him out of his comfort zone when he is training regularly at the Lord’s? What if his performances dip if he is pulled out of his happy space, who takes blame? With BCCI compelling senior players to play VHT, it feels like they just want to throw their weight around and prove a point.
As long as he delivers, things should be good.
Kohli’s VHT Itenary
It is reportedly believed that he will feature in three Vijay Hazare Trophy games.
– December 24th vs Andhra.
– December 26th vs Gujarat.
– January 6th vs Railways.