Ton-up Virat Kohli has WTC Final in mind

Bengaluru: Virat Kohli geared up perfectly for the fast-approaching ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final with his sixth IPL century on Thursday.

It was a 63-ball 100, a knock studded with 12 fours and four sixes, but Kohli made it a point to stay true to his technique, with each of those runs coming via proper cricketing shots.

After collecting his Player of the Match award, he explained his batsmanship, the ICC reported.

“I’ve never been a guy who tries so many fancy shots, because we have to play 12 months of the year,” Kohli said.

India will take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final on June 7 at The Oval.

It’ll be India’s second consecutive attempt to win the coveted trophy, having fallen short against

New Zealand in 2021.

Kohli explained how, being an all-format batter, he had to always keep the larger picture in mind, even while playing franchise league.

“For me, it’s not about playing fancy shots and throwing my wicket away,” he said.

“We’ve got Test cricket after the IPL, so I’ve got to stay true to my technique and find ways to win games for my team, something that I take a lot of pride in, and when I can make an impact in an important game, obviously that gives me confidence, gives the team confidence, and it just helps

the team overall, which is something that I look to do,” Kohli said.

It was Kohli’s sixth century in IPLs – equalling the record set by Chris Gayle – and reinforced his enduring impact in the format, coming on the back of debate over whether his strike rate in the

middle overs hampers the team.

Kohli revealed he’d spoken to the team on his IPL impact, and stated defiantly that he hadn’t given himself enough credit for his match-winning abilities.

“I was just telling the boys, the way I’m looked at as an IPL player, it’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s fine – a few impact knocks’,” said Kohli.

“It’s my sixth IPL hundred, and I don’t give myself enough credit for that sometimes, because I put myself under so much stress already,” he said.

“I don’t really care about what anyone says on the outside, to be honest, because that’s their opinion. When you’re in that situation yourself, you know how to win games of cricket, and I’ve done that for a long period of time, so it’s not like when I play I don’t win games for my team. It’s playing the situation that I take pride in,” Kohli added.

UNI