Australian great Ricky Ponting thinks T20 cricket is an ‘old people’s game’ and experienced players such as Virat Kohli tend to find a way to overcome the tough times and achieve success.
Ponting said Kohli was a “champion player in the game in all three formats” and India were reaping the rewards of sticking with him as he bounced back in style to raise hopes of their second World Cup title in the format after 15 years.
After ending his 1,021-day drought with a stunning 122 on 61 against Afghanistan at the Asian Cup in September, Kohli was at the forefront of India’s success at the the ongoing T20 World Cup as it nears the semi-finals. .
“India are now reaping the rewards of staying there and if they take the next step I’m sure they will produce something big in one of the finals as well,” the captain told two-time World Cup winner. cited by the ICC website.
Kohli, who turned 34 on Saturday, was the leading points scorer (220 points) in the current T20 World Cup and has been dismissed just once in four innings.
India take on Zimbabwe in their Super 12 final here on Sunday.
“I’ve also heard of the T20 game over the years I’ve been involved in, is it more of an older man’s game or an older person’s game than a young man’s game?
”Just with the knowledge, the know-how and the expertise in situations like Virat has faced many times.
“They’ve done it before, and they tend to find a way to do it more often than not. ”Ponting had firmly believed that the out-of-form Kohli would turn the tide and urged the India selectors to persist with him.
“He was a champion player in the game in all three formats for a long time,” Ponting said.
“One thing I’ve learned about champion players, in this particular game, is that you should never write them off. They always tend to find a way, especially when it matters most, to dig deep enough and find a way to get a job done. greatest sporting spectacles. ”If you go back in time about a week, start of this tournament; India, Pakistan, right here at the MCG — that’s what I thought might happen.
”Virat is turning back the clock a bit, playing a winning shot, being man of the match in what I think is one of the best sporting spectacles I’ve ever seen,” Ponting said of the epic four-wicket win by India.
Struggling with poor form and mental issues, Kohli had taken a month-long hiatus from cricket before Asia traveled to the United Arab Emirates.
Ponting said the support of his family and teammates would also have been essential in his return to fitness.
“(It’s) a great learning experience for Virat as a cricketer, to get to a point in his career where he had to change, had to do something different,” Ponting said.
“We know he’s always been a hard worker, he’s always been fit, he’s always been careful with his diet and he’s been a great coach. It worked for him until a certain period where he had to look elsewhere and find other ways to become a great player again.
“At the end of the day, we’re all playing the game to try to do the right thing for our family, our teammates and our fans. And that’s probably the order it goes, to be honest.
”You want to make your family proud, you want to win games for your teammates and you want the people who show up to watch, whether it’s on the spot or on TV screens, you want them to be proud of that. that you did too.”
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