Virat Kohli a pivotal member of Team India recently discussed his prematch mindset before his debut ICC ODI World Cup game. His first entry into this renowned tournament occurred against Bangladesh in Dhaka during the 2011 edition.
Virat Kohli acknowledged that he was apprehensive before the match. He also mentioned that he was the youngest player on the star-studded Indian squad during the ICC event.
In an interview with Star Sports, Kohli discussed his maiden World Cup match:
“It was against Bangladesh in Dhaka, my first game and I was nervous. Yes, I will not lie. There is a different sense of excitement in the air when you come for a World Cup and I could obviously sense that. I was the youngest member of that team and I was getting to play with all these greats of Indian cricket in a World Cup game.”
“For me it was definitely a moment where I was a bit nervous heading into the game and definitely the night before I was quite nervous but that is a good sign as well because your body is preparing you to enter a situation where you’re alert, you’re not taking things for granted. I think that nervousness helped me to be aware, be alert and be absolutely precise in the execution of my plans.”
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli shined with the bat in his debut ODI World Cup encounter, scoring an impressive century. The right-handed batsman stayed unbeaten on 100 in 83 balls as India scored an impressive 370 runs.
“Should open in the World Cup” – Wasim Jaffer wants Virat Kohli to bat at the top of the order at 2024 T20 World Cup
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer shared his belief that its high time Virat Kohli joins forces with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the 2024 T20 World Cup to kickstart Indias innings setting the tone for a promising campaign ahead.
Jaffer recommended that skipper Rohit Sharma consider moving down to either the No. 3 or No. 4 position depending on the match circumstances. Taking to the microblogging platform X Jaffer stated:
“Kohli & Jaiswal should open in the World Cup imo. Rohit & SKY should bat 3&4 depending on the start we get. Rohit plays spin really well so batting at 4 shouldn’t be a concern.”
Wasim Jaffer
Virat Kohli has an established track record as an opener in the T20 format. He was in top form for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the just ended IPL 2024, winning the Orange Cap with 741 runs in 14 innings.