Virat Kohli says faith in teammates has helped him unlock freedom in ODIs

Virat Kohli says he has consciously adopted a more aggressive approach in ODIs, shedding the anchor role he carried for years. The senior batter said faith in India’s long batting lineup has allowed him to take more risks

New Delhi: Senior India batter Virat Kohli says he has consciously decided to play with greater freedom in ODIs, moving away from the anchor role he had carried for much of his career.

Kohli, who turns 38 in November, has enjoyed a productive run in the format, scoring three centuries, four fifties and a score in the 90s in his last 10 ODI appearances.

“What’s changed is, firstly, I promised myself that I’m going to play more freely. I’m not going to worry about the expectations that people might have around me. My role had always been, for a long period of time, that I’m going to stabilise things. I know I can play; I know I can hit shots.

“But the demands are such that if it’s a tricky situation… you eventually get into a space where you’re like, ‘I can hit, but I’ve been given a role’. Now, the game is changing in a way that, especially if the conditions are fast-paced and good, and other teams are looking to push you towards 340-350, we should be able to get 350-360 as well,” Kohli told JioStar ahead of India’s first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Kohli said his trust in India’s long batting lineup has been crucial to the change in approach.

“I’m very willing to take risks now because I know that if I make runs there, we’ll get 350-360 easily. And if I do that and play longer, then I can hit more at the end,” he said.

“I had to unlock a little bit of that freedom in my own mind. That’s also helped me in the IPL as well… because I’m not thinking that if I get out, the situation might get difficult for us. I have faith in the fact that other players around me are very good and will be able to handle the situation,” he added.

Kohli also highlighted the difference between bilateral 50-over cricket and the demands of a World Cup.

“T20 cricket in bilateral series was very different from World Cups. The intensity of the World Cup was extreme. ODIs are quite simple.

“Bilateral series run at a certain intensity, and you’re always working towards a big competition… figuring out combinations and giving players game time under pressure. The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater because now it’s about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity. To maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament… especially in foreign conditions, is a big deal. It takes a lot out of you,” he said.

Kohli credited his physical training for helping him sustain high intensity during long campaigns.

“I am placed very well today because of the work I have put in physically. I feel like I can sustain that kind of intensity for 10 games easily if I continue to keep working hard on my fitness,” he said.

Kohli also praised India captain Shubman Gill for his tactical approach and proactive field placements, while acknowledging that the young skipper is still learning in the leadership role.

“Shubman, the captain, is still learning. He is still young in the role, but he has got the right perspective and the right kind of intensity to lead the Indian team.

“He thinks of ways to get batters out in the field, which is always a sign of doing something different or staying a step ahead. He is not shy to use different kinds of fields, put guys under pressure, communicate the same to the bowlers, and bring in a certain kind of bowling attack,” Kohli said.

Kohli said Gill’s decision-making would continue to develop with experience.

“With more experience and understanding situations, the kind of calls you take are things that he will keep working on and improving… But he has got the desire to lead the Indian cricket team in the right way, which is the most important factor. So, I see him leading for a long time,” he said.

The first ODI of the West Indies’ tour of India will be played in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27 from 2 pm onwards.