Virat Kohli In Action During The 1st Paytm India vs England T20 International At Green Park In Kanpur

Posted by vk18fanclub on January 26, 2017

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© YAHOO! CRICKET

Virat Kohli Says T20Is Chance For Parvez Rasool to Prove Himself

Posted by vk18fanclub on January 25, 2017

India captain Virat Kohli said that the three Twenty20 Internationals against England are a chance for Parvez Rasool and Yuzvendra Chahal to establish themselves.

Virat Kohli will be leading the Indian cricket team in the three-match T20I series vs England.

India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday said that Yuzvendra Chahal and Parvez Rasool have a chance to prove themselves and establish their presence in the three Twenty20 Internationals to be played against England. He feels that the series will provide the perfect opportunity for the duo to establish themselves as “specialists” in the shortest format of the game. A good show by Rasool and Chahal may also lessen the workload on world’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who along with Ravindra Jadeja, has been rested for the T20Is.

“The guys who have come in have done pretty well in the IPL, in the domestic T20s. The areas they are bowling in are pretty good and are pretty economical. Yuzvendra, everyone has seen his performances, even Rasool played under me at RCB,” Kohli said at the pre-match media conference.

“It is probably a breakthrough series for them. They haven’t played a big series yet so this might be the perfect opportunity to seal their spots as T20 specialist spinners for the future,” Kohli made it clear as to what is there in stake for youngsters.

About Rasool, the skipper said that he has an ability to bowl with the new ball.

“He (Rasool) is pretty confident, he can bowl with the new ball against the most attacking guys. These two guys are very smart about their bowling. I am sure they will able to replicate their domestic success at this level.”

The series is also big break for the likes of Rishabh Pant , Mandeep Singh along with veterans Ashish Nehra and Suresh Raina.

Ask about Raina, who has not played a match for national time since World T20 in March.

“I think he (Raina) still has a lot to offer. He has not played in a while because there have not been too many limited overs series since the World T20. We played a lot of Test matches in between so it seems there is a bit of a gap. We still believe he has enough to contribute in shorter formats. I would say it is a series of opportunities for a lot of guys to seal their spots,” the skipper said.

“Everyone is included in the squad is because we feel that they can contribute. At the end of the day, it is up to the individual (to perform). Hopefully he (Raina) gets back into the groove, he certainly has a lot to offer especially in shorter formats,” he further added.

The skipper made it clear that there is not much room for changing the team composition in the opening game before adding that he can also open the innings just like he has done it for the RCB in the IPL.

“It is quite easy as of now (the team combination). The problem always arises when you don’t have consistency. Starting now we would be able to figure out the best combination after a few games. In the first game, you have a set line-up to start with but if there are consistency issues with a batting position then it becomes difficult , whether you want to replace the guy or stick with him for a few more games,” explained Kohli.

Going forward, Kohli elaborated as to why he would like to open the innings.

“There are all kinds of possibilities. In the IPL, you don’t have many Indian batsmen to choose from because they are spread across the franchisees. Here (in international cricket) you have a lot of options as far as Indian batsmen are concerned.

“We have a lot of options (in batting line-up), which is a very good thing. If need be I can open, it all depends on the balance of the side. I have only opened in one T20 International, may be two but I have experience of opening in the IPL. If need be, I could or I might not. It all depends on the balance of the side,” he stressed.

India were the better team in both Tests and ODIs though the 50-over series was closely fought. Kohli said the team is capable of a lot more than what it has produced this season.

“We would definitely like to extend our run from Test and ODIs to T20s. We want to play more special cricket, play more positive than what we have in the past, not worry about the result too much. In this format we need to go out and show our true potential.”

There is stiff competition for places among the seniors and juniors.

“The squad if you see has been selected like that. We have got quite a few youngsters who want to prove with senior guys in the team. Eventually the idea is groom them enough and then to give them more confidence and have a gradual progress graph for them. It is important to back them enough,” he concluded.

© NDTV SPORTS

I Got A MS Dhoni Signed Ball As Memorabilia: Virat Kohli

Posted by vk18fanclub on January 23, 2017

Team India captain reflects on the series win, the findings and a memorabilia to cherish.

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The common thread between geniuses is that they don’t consider their performance as an art. For them it is an outing to display character, class and consistency. The pundits can be in awe of what is at display, but for the genius it is the flow engineered by the state of mind.

Virat Kohli is one such genius in the making who shows a gung-ho attitude on the field and his youthful exuberance is something that would make you fall in love with the art of batting.

The teenager who led the India U-19 team to victory in 2008 is now the Indian Captain across all formats of the game, albeit one thing remaining constant – his hunger to win games.

2016 was one such year for Virat as he led the team in whites and made India reclaim the No.1 Test rankings. His growing maturity and show with the willow had impressed all and sundry and therefore he was recently handed over the reins of limited overs captaincy by MS Dhoni with India-England ODI series being his first assignment as India’s full-time captain.

India won the series 2-1 and the skipper spoke to BCCI TV on his ability to walk the talk, findings from the series and more..

Excerpts:

Captain, you once famously said that ‘we can’t always give excuses on transition and learning, it is time for results’. You have walked the talk and how.

Yes, it has been a series of finds, character building, people expressing themselves and not worrying about the number of games they have played. The team has showed character and intent of being smart cricketers, winning games for the country. There is no better feeling and I feel that the guys have really encashed the opportunity wonderfully and delivered every time we have been under the pump. Especially youngsters stepping up with special mentions to Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya, the way they have performed in the series has been outstanding. Everyone has contributed throughout the series and that’s the hallmark of a good team.

Cricket pundits are raving about this one SIX of yours against Chris Woakes in the 1st ODI. How did you make it happen?

I don’t know (laughs). I think it was the momentum that I was in and the motivation to win a game for my country, understanding how many runs we need from the number of balls left and reacting to the ball coming in that area. I have never played a shot like that before, but to have executed that, I surprised myself as well. It is one of those shots that will remain as a memory in your career and you can sit back and say that this is one of those special things that happened to me. I’m grateful to have executed it.

Phrases like ‘King Kohli’ and ‘Captain Fearless’ have been doing the rounds everywhere. What do you think suits the best to you?

I prefer being the Joker in the change room.

Three moments from the ODI series that will stay with you for long and why?

Kedar’s batting performance in the 1st ODI.

Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) and MS (Dhoni), the way they batted in the second game and the way Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) bowled in the death overs

The way Hardik and Kedar strung in the partnership (3rd ODI). I think it is commendable for two guys after having lost all the experienced guys in the team to stitch a partnership like this on a difficult wicket is something outstanding for me. These three events stand out for me because this is something that we always wish as a team to execute.

Most Captains have a ritual of picking up memorabilia after a series win. Have you picked up anything yet?

Well, MS gave me the match ball in the second game. The stumps are too expensive nowadays and they don’t allow us to take it home (smiles). He gave me the ball and told me that it was my first series win as captain and it is memorable. It was a special moment for me and I got the ball signed from him as well.