Strange IndiaStrange India



India batter Virat Kohli on Sunday became the first Indian player to play 100 matches in all three formats of the game. He achieved the feat against Pakistan as he stepped out on the field in the Asia Cup Group A match on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. Before this contest, Virat had represented Team India in 99 T20I games across which he has scored 3,308 runs at an average of 50.12. His best individual score for India in this format to date is 94 and he has also scored 30 half-centuries in this format.India captain Rohit Sharma opted to field against Pakistan in the match.Kohli has now become just the second Indian men’s player to represent the country in 100 T20Is and he is also the second player after former New Zealand batter Ross Taylor to play 100 matches in all three formats of the game.Kohli has so far played 262 ODIs and 102 ODIs in his international career. He has 70 international centuries to his credit, but he had last scored a ton in November 2019 and ever since then, the three figure mark has eluded him.While speaking to host broadcaster Star Sports on playing 100 T20Is, Kohli said: “You can look at numbers, but for me, the meaning is completely different. It shows longevity, keeping up with the demands of playing the sport at the highest level. To keep on nurturing your game again and again, this is a reflection of how one wants to lead their life also. You feel the value of yourself as a person. It is not numbers, but the work that goes behind the scenes, that is more valuable to me.”Earlier this year, Virat had been rested for the series against West Indies and Zimbabwe after the tour of England. The batter revealed how he was faking intensity and how he was mentally down.Promoted”For the first time in 10 years, I did not touch the bat for one month. I came to the realisation that I was kind of trying to fake my intensity a bit recently, you know you can do that, you are competitive and you are saying I have the intensity but your body is telling you to stop and it is telling you to take a break and step back. I am looked at as a guy who is very mentally strong and I am. Everyone has a limit and you need to recognise that limit otherwise things can get unhealthy for you,” Kohli said.”This period taught me a lot, you know many things I was not allowing to come to the surface. When it surfaced, I embraced it. I am not shy to accept that I was feeling mentally down, it is a normal thing to feel but we don’t speak because we are hesitant, we don’t want to be looked at as mentally weak or weak people. Trust me, faking to be strong is far worse than admitting to be weak,” he added.Topics mentioned in this article



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