Fielding coach T Dilip has given Team India’s top batsman Virat Kohli the Fielder of the Series medal for the just ended three-match home T20I series against Afghanistan.
Kohli was outstanding in the field during the third and final T20I in Bengaluru on Wednesday (January 17). In the 17th over of the run chase, he produced a fantastic acrobatic performance, leaping high to save a certain six.
Given that the game proceeded to the Super Over, with both teams finishing at 212 after their respective innings, effort was extremely important.
Dilip announced Kohli as the recipient of the dressing room award and encouraged the kids to emulate the experienced campaigner’s zeal. In a BCCI social media post, he stated:
“He took two medals in the World Cup. And I still remember in West Indies, when he told me he doesn’t want to stand in slips, wanted to in short or fine-leg; challenging the youngsters, that he wants to be the best in the World Cup, and he showed that. This is the intensity the man gives to the team. He not only does his job well, but apart from that, he inspires everyone.
“It is a great opportunity to be playing along with him. I would like the other youngsters to come up and start replicating, doing half of it, and the whole team will look very different.”
It is worth noting that Virat Kohli beat out fellow contender Rinku Singh to win the Fielder of the Series title. The Men in Blue swept Afghanistan 3-0 in the series.
Rohit Sharma praises Virat Kohli’s aggressive mindset in the third T20I against Afghanistan
Virat Kohli got out for a zero in the third T20I game. He was defeated during an attempt at an aggressive hit against left-arm speedster Fareed Ahmad. Sanju Samson also recorded a first-ball duck in the match.
Even though the players had struggles with batting, team leader Rohit Sharma lauded Kohli and Samson’s adherence to the team’s strategy. In a conversation with Jio Cinema following the game, Sharma said:
“We only need to give the players clarity to the players about their position and the manner of cricket we want them to play with. The boys know what to expect when they come out onto the ground. As you saw today, Virat Kohli tried to go hard from the word go, he normally does not do that, but he showed the intent. Same with Sanju Samson, he was out first ball, but the intent was there.”
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma dominated the show with his batting prowess, scoring his 5th T20I century. He finished unbeaten on 121 in just 69 balls, propelling the team to an excellent 212-run total after a difficult start.