Virat Kohli Backs Counterattacking Approach Over Playing Safe in ODIs

Virat Kohli played a pivotal knock in the first ODI against New Zealand at Vadodara. He backed himself to play aggressively after India lost Rohit Sharma early in the innings. His strategy to take on New Zealand bowlers proved fruitful, as the pressure was immediately transferred to the young Kiwi attack that is touring India for the first time.

Due to Kohli’s early counterattacking approach, batting became a bit easy for Shubman Gill. The young Indian captain is not the kind of player who can take on the opposition singlehandedly. He needs support from the other end, which Virat Kohli provided effectively in the last game at Vadodara.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Virat Kohli said that he came up with a different mindset when Rohit Sharma was dismissed early by New Zealand. He ensured to put pressure on the Kiwi bowlers rather than just playing the situation with a defensive mindset.

"Well, the basic idea is I bat at No.3. So if the situation is a bit tricky, I back myself to counterattack now rather than just trying to play the situation in because some ball has your name on it,” said Virat Kohli.

He explained that going into a shell after an early wicket is not something he relies on. Considering this, he tried to play positively to negate the attack of New Zealand, while also ensuring to not become over aggressive.

"So there's no point waiting around for too long. But at the same time, you don't play outrageous shots. You still stick to your strengths, but you back yourself enough to put the opposition on the back foot,” said Virat Kohli.

He added that going hard in the first 20 balls was his plan at the start. He took the risk to put pressure on the New Zealand bowlers, who were trying to strengthen their grip on the match. It also helped him build a partnership with Shubman Gill that forced the opposition onto the back foot.

“I just felt like if I push hard now in the first 20 balls, then we can probably string in a partnership straight after a wicket like Rohit's where the opposition is going to go on the back foot. And that actually ended up being the difference in the game," said Virat Kohli.

Proud of Serving India in International Cricket

The Indian superstar said playing for India is the biggest honor for him, and he did a lot of hard work to maintain his performances and fitness over the past few years.

"Honestly, if I look back at my whole journey, it's nothing short of a dream come true for me. I've always mentioned that I've always known my abilities. How much ability I had when I came in and I had to work for a lot more to get to the place I'm today, and God has blessed me with way too much for me to complain about anything,” said Virat Kohli.

Kohli added that he feels nothing but pride when he looks back at his journey in international cricket so far. For all these achievements, he thanks the almighty for helping him reach this level.

“So I feel nothing but gratitude. I always look back at my whole journey with a lot of grace and a lot of gratitude in my heart, and I feel proud about it," said Virat Kohli.

The Indian captain, Shubman Gill, also applauded the innings of Virat Kohli by saying that he batted exceptionally well. Considering his recent form, Gill hopes that Kohli continues to churn out runs for India in the near future as well.

"I mean, at the moment, the way he's batting, he's just making batting so easy, especially on this kind of a surface, it's not easy to start. But the way he's batting, it's very hard to replicate how he's batting at the moment and the confidence that he's got. So hopefully he'll keep piling on the runs for us. So many options to choose from," said Shubman Gill.