Last Update on: November 11th, 2023 at 07:13 pm
Virat Kohli has been enduring a dream run in international since the Asia Cup 2022 last year in September. Since then he has scored 9 centuries including two at the World Cup, and has 79 tons in international cricket, which makes him second only to fellow India great Sachin Tendulkar (100 centuries).
His most recent ton came up against South Africa in Kolkata when he scored 101 off 212 deliveries. This was his second World Cup ton of this tournament as he is inching closer to 600 runs in this World Cup.
Reflecting back to his T20 World Cup campaign last year, Virat Kohli opened up on the role Paddy Upton had on him as he taught the former Indian skipper about understanding his perspective in the game.
Kohli top-scored for India with 295 runs in the tournament including a match-winning 82-run knock against Pakistan in Melbourne. He took a special liking to Haris Rauf and hit him for two sixes with India needing 28 off 8 balls at one stage. Kohli hit Rauf for a straight six over the bowler’s head, a shot that went into the history books. India in the end won a famous game of cricket against their arch-rivals.
Also Read: Haris Rauf Becomes The Bowler To Concede Most Runs In A Single World Cup Edition
In a conversation with Star Sports, Virat Kohli opened up on his tough phase before the Asia Cup and how Upton played a massive role in helping him understand his own perspective of the game. Paddy Upton worked closely with Gary Kirsten when he was the coach of the Indian team. Upton joined the Indian team for a brief period during the T20 World Cup.
He Understood From A Cricketing Perspective: Virat Kohli On Paddy Upton
“I had a lot of conversations with him, and I really appreciated him in that moment because he constantly kept me in check with my checkpoints of being present. Keep doing things that you did when you were playing good cricket,” Kohli told Star Sports, as quoted by TOI.
“What I went through, what is the cycle of having a long career, the ups and downs because he understood from a cricketing perspective (Paddy Upton); he’s played cricket himself. And after that becoming a sports psychologist is a different kind of space,” Kohli added further.
Virat Kohli is on 49 ODI tons and has an opportunity to score his 50th when India takes on the Netherlands in Bengaluru on October 12. If he gets there, he will become the first batter to notch up 50 ODI centuries. India have also qualified for the semi-finals and will be playing the Kiwis on November 15, Wednesday.
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