India captain Virat Kohli hammered 70 runs in 29 balls as he helped his side to a comfortable 67-run win in the 3rd T20I against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. With the win, the hosts clinched the series 2-1. Kohli, who was named the man of the series for his performance, described it as one of his best innings after the match, and said that now he feels motivated for the upcoming T20I World Cup next year.
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, the 31-year-old said: “We had spoken a lot (about batting first and winning). It was about going out there and executing. I was in the zone and I carried on. Told KL, he needs to bat long and hold one end. It was a pretty special innings and also being our second wedding anniversary, it was a special gift. It was a special night and one of the best innings I have played. And batting first we won, feels really good.”
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Kohli added that now he knows the role he can play for the team in all the three formats. “Now with the World Cup coming up there is motivation. My part becomes crucial as I have to play two roles. When you are not playing T20s for a while and come back and play like this, it feels good. There is one thing about talking about the plans but it is about executing them on the field.”
He further praised Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul for their performance in the decider. “I think two guys in the middle with clarity and the way Rahul and Rohit played today was the key today. Batting first, we have been too tight and hesitant, but this pitch allowed us to play freely. It was a good lesson for us and now we need to remember it.”
{{/usCountry}}He further praised Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul for their performance in the decider. “I think two guys in the middle with clarity and the way Rahul and Rohit played today was the key today. Batting first, we have been too tight and hesitant, but this pitch allowed us to play freely. It was a good lesson for us and now we need to remember it.”
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On being questioned on the importance of scoring boundaries in T20Is, Kohli said: “Depends on what pitch and ground you are playing on (whether scoring more boundaries is a must). You don’t really feel the pressure when you have 20-25 runs on the board. Playing the World Cup in Australia, we will have to figure out how big the boundaries are.”