IND vs PAK: Star India batter Virat Kohli has said that as a player he strives for betterment every day and performance becomes a byproduct of the mindset while also noting that there is no limit to excellence. In his interaction on Star Sports on “Follow the Blues”, Virat delved into his quest for self-improvement and continuous growth. ‘King Kohli’, as he is known to his fans, will be seen in action during the Asia Cup 2023 campaign opener against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday.
“I only try to understand how I can better my game. Every day, every practice session, every year, every season. This is what has helped me play this well for so long and perform for my team. I do not think you can perform consistently without that mindset, because if your performance is your only goal, then you can be satisfied and stop working hard,” he said.
Also Read: Ahead of IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 game, check Virat Kohli’s ODI stats against Pakistan
“My motto has always been to ‘Chase betterment’, not excellence I would say, because I do not know what the definition of excellence is. There is no limit to it, there is no set achievement that if you reach a certain stage you have reached excellence.
“I think I strive for betterment every day, so that is a better word to use and yes, performance obviously becomes a byproduct because your mindset is ‘How do I make my team win from this position? This will make me a better player or this will get my team in a better position if I perform this way. So this has always been my mindset,” he concluded.
Virat likes to play against Pakistan and numbers are evidence. In 13 ODIs against Pakistan, he has scored 536 runs at an average of 48.72 and a strike rate of 96.22. He has scored two centuries and two fifties in 13 innings, with the best score of 183. Overall in 23 international matches against Pakistan, he has scored 1,024 runs at an average of 60.23 and a strike rate of over 107, with two centuries and seven fifties and the best score of 183.
Virat has been in good form this year. In 10 ODIs this year, he has scored 427 runs at an average of 53.37, with two tons and a fifty and a best of 166 against Sri Lanka.
In 17 international matches across formats this year in 19 innings, he has scored 984 runs at an average of 54.66 with four centuries and two fifties. His best score is 186 against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
He also had a good IPL 2023. Though his team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) could not reach the playoffs, he scored 639 runs in 14 innings at an average of 53.25, with a strike rate of 139.25 and scored two centuries and six fifties in his 14 innings. He ended the tournament as the fourth-highest run-getter.
With 12,898 runs in 275 matches at an average of 57.32, with 46 centuries and 65 fifties, fans will be expecting a lot from Virat during the Asia Cup and World Cup.
They will also have their eyes on Virat breaking the record for most ODI centuries scored by Sachin Tendulkar (49 tons) and become the first-ever player with 50 ODI tons.
Pakistan, India and Nepal are in Group A while Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are in Group B. The tournament will follow a hybrid model with Pakistan hosting four matches across two venues and Sri Lanka hosting the remaining games. The six group-stage matches will be followed by the Super Fours beginning September 6.
The final will be played by the top two teams at the end of the Super Fours on September 17 in Colombo.
Indian Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir (travelling reserve).
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