Having already won the 5-match T20I series, Virat Kohli decided to bench himself in the final match against New Zealand. In his absence, in-form batsman Rohit Sharma stepped in to lead the side. However, he hurt his calf while batting, and had to retire hurt. Despite missing two of their most experienced cricketers, the Indian side managed to win the game.
For obvious reasons, Kohli is delighted with the result. KL Rahul marshalled the troops brilliantly, and the bowlers executed the job in hand with immaculate precision. Shivam Dube conceded 34 runs in an over, after which the game which looking all but over. But India finally managed to pull it off, thanks to the character showed by the future stars.
Speaking on this after the game, the Indian skipper said “All of us are really proud of the way we’ve played this series. I think the conversation we had was to always look to find ways to win. When it comes out, it feels nice. You don’t want to see what happened to Rohit, but there were all these young guys playing well and handling the pressure.”
“That gives me a lot of pleasure watching from the outside and they will take this momentum going forward for many years. Basically it is all about laying the vision in front of the boys, the way you think, prepare,” he further added, as per quotes in India Today.
New Zealand cricket is in safe hands
With a 5-0 drubbing against India, many Kiwi loyalists might question the captaincy of Kane Williamson. But Kohli feels Williamson is the best person to lead the side, and the team is in right hands. “Despite what the scoreline suggests, I feel that New Zealand cricket is in the best hands and he is the right guy to lead this team. He is the perfect, perfect man to lead them,” he stated.
Speaking on the attributes he shares with Williamson, Kohli further added “Kane is just a great guy. Kane and I have similar mindsets, similar philosophies. It is amazing that despite being from different parts of the world, we have similar thinking and we speak the same language. Despite what the scoreline suggests.”
