Former India skipper Virat Kohli once again peeled off yet another half-century – his third of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 that set the base for India’s thrilling five-run win over Bangladesh on Wednesday
Kohli loves playing in Australia and he feels at home when batting at the Adelaide Oval. Wednesday’s game against the Bangla Tigers was just another example of why he enjoys batting at the venue as he played a significant 64-run unbeaten knock to help his side post a challenging 184/6.
Overall, Kohli has amassed 907 runs at the Adelaide Oval, across formats, including five centuries and three half-centuries in 10 matches now and carried an excellent average of 75.58.
Speaking at the post-match presentation while collecting his player-of-the-match award, the run-machine said: “I love playing at this ground. This makes me feel at home. When I come to Adelaide, I am meant to enjoy myself and keep batting.”
“That knock at MCG (vs Pakistan) was meant to be, but when I come here, it’s like I’m meant to come to Adelaide and enjoy my batting,” he added.
Meanwhile, the former India captain also admitted that he was eager to be playing in the world cup considering his record in Australian conditions. “As soon as I knew the world cup is in Australia, I was grinning from ear to ear. Good cricketing shots will be the key here is what I know. Hitting through the line is what I do in every format. It is just an extension for me,” he said.
In chase of 185, Bangladesh were off to a great start, thanks to opener Litton Das’ half-century inside the Powerplay itself. However, the rain-interruption turned the game on its head as Bangladesh slipped from 66/0 in 7 overs to 108/6 in 12.5 overs.
Chasing a revised target of 151 in 16 overs by DLS method, Bangladesh though fought hard but in end, India edged past them for a five-run win.
“Pretty close game. Not as close as we would have liked it to be,” Kohli said.
When Kohli was asked if he’s back to his best, he replied, “I’m just in a happy space, I don’t want to compare anything. What’s in the past is in the past.”
Meanwhile, Kohli also added another another feather to illustrious hat as he became the highest run-scorer in Twenty20 World Cup history during the match.
The former India captain achieved the feat when he reached his individual score of 16 and surpassed former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene’s total of 1,016 runs in his 23rd innings in T20 World Cups. He played his 113th T20 international for India since making his debut in the shorter format in 2010.