Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has lauded Virat Kohli’s remarkable consistency in ODIs following the star batter’s match-winning performance against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday. Kohli scored a composed 93 off 91 deliveries to guide India to a four-wicket victory in the opening ODI of the three-match series. Chasing a target of 301, India lost opener Rohit Sharma early on; however, Kohli anchored the innings with trademark control, ensuring India stayed on course for a comprehensive win.
"The way Kohli is batting, we can call him 'Virat consistent Kohli'. This name suits him, especially in ODI cricket. In the last seven innings, he has scored three tons and four fifties. He missed out on a hundred by a whisker in the first ODI and has now amassed 28,000 runs in international cricket," Irfan Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Kohli deserves praise, especially for stepping out regularly at 37. When a batter steps out regularly, many things can go wrong. But Kohli's head position is strong, and it shows his technique is strong. Your core needs to be strong, so do your calves and glutes. Only then can a batter step out and hit those big shots," he said.
Pathan also praised Kohli's approach in the first ODI against New Zealand.
"He played aggressively at the start, but scored only one boundary in the next 50 deliveries when he was set. It's amazing to see his approach and how he keeps getting better. I feel there should be either a five-match series or a triangular series so we can see Kohli score more international runs. Not only was I expecting him to score a ton, but also finish the game. He often does that, but couldn't today," he said.