The 2024-25 season has been a tough one for Virat Kohli, especially in Test cricket. There were concerns about his form after he was caught behind the stumps eight times on Australia tour. Many advised Kohli to let go off his cover drive early on in the innings to avoid nicking the ball to the wicketkeeper or slip fielders. However, Kohli stuck with his productive shot when he walked out to bat against Pakistan in the run chase while the ball was doing a bit under the lights in Dubai. Kohli hit a few boundaries with his much talked-about cover drives and found himself at ease. After his 51st ODI century helped India beat Pakistan by six wickets, Kohli opened about his cover drive and how he backs himself to play that shot despite it being a double-edged sword.
"It is a catch 22 [situation]. It has been my kind of weakness as well over the years but I have scored lot of runs off that shots. I think today was just about backing my shots. I think the first couple of boundaries I got were cover drives on the rise so I really had to let it go little bit, take a risk and follow through with my shots," Kohli said in a video posted by bcci.tv.
"When I hit those kind of shots, then I feel in control. It was a good innings for me personally. It was great team work," he added.
Kohli's role at no.3 unchanged
Kohli was happy to contribute in the winning cause once again. He said that his role at no.3 hasn't change over the years.
"I was able to bat the way I wanted to bat and contribute in a winning cause. It obviously feels great. It was imperative to get stuck in and get this win to be able to qualify," the 36-year-old said.
"One thing that I always thought of batting at no.3 is minimise the risk and make sure I put my team in a winning position. If you have a chance to finish off the game in a run chase, then it is much better. I always prefer that kind of a situation. My role over the years has remained the same. Whatever the demands of the game, I put my head down and do that," he added.
Kohli on fans in Dubai
Kohli also talked about the electric atmosphere in Dubai where fans from both sides were cheering for their team in crucial Champions Trophy 2025 clash.
"The occasion is always a bit more lively when you play against Pakistan especially in this region because you have equal number of fans from both countries. It was a great day for us as a team and personally as well," he signed off.
Kohli's chance to leave legends behind
Kohli is now seventh on the list of highest run-scorers in Champions Trophy history with 651 runs from 14 innings. When India take on New Zealand on March 2, he will have a chance to surpass several legendary players on the list. The top spot is occupied by former West Indies opener Chris Gayle with 791 runs from 17 innings.