India coach Gautam Gambhir said Virat Kohli's vast experience and knack of planning his innings to perfection are reasons he is so successful in one-day internationals, after the batsman led the team into the Champions Trophy final.
Kohli scored a controlled 84 from 98 balls during India's successful pursuit of 265 against Australia in the first semi-final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, enhancing his reputation as one of the game's great chasers.
The 36-year-old now averages 64.50 when India bat second in ODIs, well ahead of South African batsman AB de Villiers (56.81) in second place. Kohli's average is a staggering 89.50 when his team are successful chasing.
"He's a phenomenal one-day cricketer," Gambhir told a press conference after India's four-wicket win.
"He knows how to plan his runs, how to plan whether he's batting first or chasing and he adapts to the conditions really quickly. That's why experienced and high-quality players are very important.
"That's the reason he's got those kinds of records in one-day cricket. I hope he continues to do that in future as well."
While Kohli can be devastating if he decides to take on the bowlers, his knock on Tuesday contained only five boundaries and showcased the discipline that is sometimes required during a tricky chase.
His only disappointment on the evening was not being able to make a record-extending 52nd ODI century and 29th while chasing after an unbeaten 100 against hosts Pakistan earlier.
"He's arguably the best chaser the game has seen," Australia captain Steve Smith said. "He's done it numerous times against us. He controls the tempo of the game really well, plays to his strengths and takes the game deep. I thought he played really well again."
India take on the winners of Wednesday's semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand.
The final is on Sunday.
Kohli recalls century
Kohli, who boasts a dominant record against Pakistan, had scored a well-crafted century against the defending champions during India's run chase of 242 and helped them secure a rewarding six-wicket victory.
The right-handed batter played a similar innings in the knockout fixture as India comfortably chased down 265 runs.
Virat Kohli, however, failed to convert his sensible knock into a match-winning century but it was enough to earn him the Player of the Match award just like the blockbuster clash against Pakistan.
The 36-year-old, while speaking at the post-match presentation, drew parallels between his two knocks and termed them the culmination of his adaptability to the conditions and strike rotation.
"I think it was pretty similar to the other day against Pakistan as well. I think there was about seven fours when I got a hundred," said Kohli.
"For me, it's about just understanding the conditions, preparing my game accordingly, just rotating strike. Because partnerships on this pitch are the most important thing and my only effort that day and today was to string in enough partnerships.
"I think the time that I got out, the plan was to get 20 more and then try and finish it off in a couple of fours. Usually that's the template I follow but sometimes you can't execute things how you want to.
"It's all dependent on the conditions the pitch tells me, how the cricket needs to be played and then I just switch on and play accordingly."
For the unversed, Virat Kohli is the third-highest run-scorer in the eight-team tournament, having churned 217 runs from four innings at a brilliant average of 72.33.
Furthermore, he can finish the Champions Trophy 2025 as the leading run-scorer as he needs just 11 runs in the final to pip England's Ben Duckett, who scored 227 runs in three innings
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ