ICC World Cup 2019: ‘He is slow poison’ – Paddy Upton on what sets Virat Kohli apart

Paddy Upton was part of the Indian coaching staff during the ‘Men in Blue’s’ trophy-winning World Cup 2011 campaign at home.

Indian cricket team’s former mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton stated that skipper Virat Kohli hurts the opposition like slow poison and he somehow always seems to be control whenever he is out in the middle.

File image of India skipper Virat Kohli.(Getty Images)

Upton was part of the coaching staff during India’s trophy-winning campaign at the 2011 World Cup. Having witnessed Kohli from close quarters, Upton said the Indian captain’s ability to understand the situation is second to none.

“He (Virat Kohli) has learnt to understand what he needs to do when he walks out to bat in any format of the game. He finds the tempo, which he retains throughout the entire innings,” Paddy Upton was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

“Dhoni takes a lot longer, sometimes he falls behind, but takes over at the last minute. Kohli is slow poison. If he needs seven an over, he doesn’t fall below that, he doesn’t go way beyond, either. He doesn’t give you an opportunity.

“At the end of the game, often quite unspectacularly, he is still there. In terms of understanding how to strategise an innings entirely, he is clearly one of the best, if not the best,” Upton added.

After a disappointing Indian Premier League campaign, that saw his team Royal Challengers Bangalore finishing last of the table, Kohli has now shifted focus to the all-important ICC World Cup 2019, which is scheduled to be played in England and Wales between May 30 and July 14.

The first match of the showpiece event will be played between England and South Africa while India open their campaign against the Proteas on June 5.