“What’s changed is, firstly, I promised myself that I’m going to play more freely. I’m not going to worry about the expectations that people might have around me. My role had always been, for a long period of time, that I’m going to stabilise things. I know I can play; I know I can hit shots.
Shedding the self-imposed anchor role that defined much of his career, senior India batter Virat Kohli on Saturday revealed he has consciously unlocked a new layer of ‘freedom’ in his 50-over batting approach to help India consistently push past the 350-run benchmark. Kohli, who will turn 38 in November, has been playing ODIs with a renewed sense of vigour. His tally over the past 18 months reflects that freshness – punctuated by three centuries, four fifties, and a score over 90 in his last 10 ODI appearances alone.
“But the demands are such that if it’s a tricky situation…you eventually get into a space where you’re like, ‘I can hit, but I’ve been given a role’. “T20 cricket in bilateral series was very different from World Cups. The intensity of the World Cup was extreme. ODIs are quite simple. “Bilateral series run at a certain intensity, and you’re always working towards a big competition… figuring out combinations and giving players game time under pressure. It takes a lot out of you,” he added.
Because now it’s about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity, the intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater. Now, the game is changing in a way that, especially if the conditions are fast-paced and good, and other teams are looking to push you towards 340–350, we should be able to get 350–360 as well,” Kohli told JioStar ahead of India’s first ODI against West Indies, to be played in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Delving into the contrasting physical and mental demands across formats, Kohli drew a sharp line between bilateral 50-over matches and the gruelling environment of a World Cup. To maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament… especially in foreign conditions, is a big deal.
Kohli signed off by expressing confidence that with match time, Gill’s decision-making under high-pressure scenarios will only refine further. Kohli credited his rigorous physical training for allowing him to sustain peak performance through such long campaigns. Kohli also shared his thoughts on captain Shubman Gill’s ongoing evolution in the leadership role, and praised the young opener’s tactical sharpness and proactive field placements. “Shubman, the captain, is still learning. He is still young in the role, but he has got the right perspective and the right kind of intensity to lead the Indian team. “With more experience and understanding situations, the kind of calls you take are things that he will keep working on and improving… But he has got the desire to lead the Indian cricket team in the right way, which is the most important factor. So, I see him leading for a long time.”
Because of the work I have put in physically, “I am placed very well today. I feel like I can sustain that kind of intensity for 10 games easily if I continue to keep working hard on my fitness,” he said.
