Star Indian batter Virat Kohli recently shared insights into his emotions and thoughts before playing his first-ever ICC ODI World Cup match. Kohli made his debut in the prestigious tournament against Bangladesh in Dhaka during the 2011 edition.
Speaking about the match, Kohli confessed to feeling nervous before the encounter. He emphasized that he was the youngest player in a star-studded Indian team during the ICC tournament.
In an interview with Star Sports, Kohli reminisced about his first World Cup experience:
“It was against Bangladesh in Dhaka, my first game and I was nervous. Yes, I will not lie. There is a different sense of excitement in the air when you come for a World Cup and I could obviously sense that. I was the youngest member of that team and I was getting to play with all these greats of Indian cricket in a World Cup game.”
“For me, it was definitely a moment where I was a bit nervous heading into the game and definitely the night before I was quite nervous but that is a good sign as well because your body is preparing you to enter a situation where you’re alert, you’re not taking things for granted. I think that nervousness helped me to be aware, be alert and be absolutely precise in the execution of my plans,” he added.
Kohli shone with the bat in his first ODI World Cup match, notching up a fine century. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 100 off 83 balls, helping India post an imposing 370-run total.
“Should Open in the World Cup” – Wasim Jaffer Wants Virat Kohli at the Top of the Order for 2024 T20 World Cup
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer believes that Virat Kohli should open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal at the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup. He suggested that skipper Rohit Sharma should drop down to the No. 3 or No. 4 spot, depending on the match situation.
Taking to the microblogging platform X, Jaffer wrote:
“Kohli & Jaiswal should open in the World Cup imo. Rohit & SKY should bat 3 & 4 depending on the start we get. Rohit plays spin really well so batting at 4 shouldn’t be a concern.”
Kohli has a proven record as an opener in the T20 format. He was in stellar form for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the recently concluded IPL 2024, finishing as the Orange Cap winner with 741 runs across 14 innings.
The anticipation builds as fans wonder whether Kohli will take on the opening role and lead India to another World Cup triumph.
