Indian skipper Virat Kohli lauded his troops after the hosts registered a comprehensive 36-run victory over England in the final T20I at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The ‘Men in Blue’ also clinched the five-match series 3-2.
Kohli, who opened the innings for India in the series decider, played a blistering knock of 80 runs off just 52 deliveries. The Delhi-lad stayed unbeaten till the last ball and anchored the innings for his side. Apart from the captain, opener Rohit Sharma (64), Surya Kumar Yadav (32), and Hardik Pandya (39 no) contributed well to help the side get to a massive total of 224/2.
Speaking about the game in the post-match presentation, Kohli was asked if he will continue to open the innings, given it worked wonders in the final match. The 32-year-old confirmed that he would open the innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“Yes, I am going to open in the IPL as well. Look, I have batted at different positions in the past, but I feel like we have a solid middle-order now, and now it’s about for the two best players getting a maximum number of balls in T20 cricket,” Kohli told Harsha Bhogle.
Kohli and Rohit opened for the first time in T20Is, and it went pretty well for Team India. The pair added 94-runs in just nine overs and gave their side a solid platform. The Indian skipper pointed out the importance of his opening with Rohit, saying that they can do some serious damage to the opposition if they have a partnership at the top.
“I would definitely like to partner Rohit at the top. As I rightly said, if we have a partnership and both are set, you know that one of us will cause some serious damage, and that’s exactly what we want. The other guys feel much more confident when one of us is still in and set, and they know that they can play more freely, so it augurs well for the team. I would like this to continue, and hopefully continue that form through to the World Cup,” added Kohli.
