Virat Kohli, the leading run-scorer in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with 220 runs in four innings, spoke about his special connection with host nation Australia, on Saturday, in an interview released by the BCCI. While his love affair with Adelaide in particular is well-established, he has strong numbers across formats in Australian conditions in general.
The pitches in Australia match his playing style perfectly and the crowds too enjoy his style of play. Kohli, after the match-winning knock against Bangladesh in the Adelaide Oval told broadcasters Star Sports that he knew he was happy the moment he received news announcing Australia as the host nation of the tournament.
Data check: Virat Kohli reiterates his love for Adelaide Oval – ‘It makes me feel at home’
“I don’t know what it is, but I feel really comfortable whenever I come here,” he said in the interview with the BCCI.
“I have noticed one thing recently that if you perform here, you will be appreciated by the local fans as well. The local Aussie fans approach me like I am one of theirs. I never feel out of place here. It feels like home away from home for me.”
With 3350 runs in 68 innings at a 56.77 average across formats in Australia, he boasts of six Test centuries and four fifties in 13 matches, and 1327 runs in 29 One-Day Internationals, including five hundreds and six half-centuries. And, most notably, he has amassed 671 runs in 14 T20I innings. This equates to an average of 83.87 and a strike rate of 144.61, which is significantly higher than his overall T20I strike rate.
The former captain also spoke about his equation with current all-format captain Rohit Sharma. Since Kohli stood down as skipper of the team, the relationship between the two has been under scrutiny. However, Kohli reiterated that they share a similar vision.
“Rohit and I have a similar vision – to make India win. It’s very free-flowing, it is all pointed towards main goal,” he said.
He added, “We generally talk about how to win the big tournaments. How we should execute the preparation and planning. When you have such kind of camarderie and environment in the team, you always feels excited to play the game. You look forward to do anything for the team.”
You can watch the full interview here.