Virat Kohli’s Brilliance In ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Puts Shubman Gill’s Spot Under Threat.
Photo : AP
Virat Kohli produced yet another ODI special on Tuesday in Dubai, helping India edge out Australia in the semis and storm into the Champions Trophy Final.
Following his heroics, the 36-year-old moved up to the fourth spot in the latest men's ODI batter rankings - just three shy of teammate Shubman Gill, who remains as No.1 with 791 points. Kohli is just 43 points behind Gill, and after his Dubai masterclass, he also surpassed India captain Rohit Sharma.
India's Axar Patel was the other big all-rounder rise, moving up 17 spots to 13th and registering a career-high 194 rating points.
After his scintillating knock, Kohli revealed what helped him steer India to victory in the Champions Trophy semi-final and said, "I was not feeling desperate, and I was pretty happy knocking ones around."
"And when, as a batter, you start taking pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, that is when you know you are playing good cricket and know you are in for a big partnership.
"It settles down the nerves. That was the most pleasing factor for me today."
"For me it is about understanding the conditions, preparing my game accordingly, rotating strike," he continued.
"Big partnerships on this pitch are the most important thing and my effort today was to string enough partnerships [together]. The pitch tells me how the cricket needs to be played and then I just switch on and play accordingly.
"This game is all about pressure, especially semis and finals. When you go deep into the innings with enough wickets in hand, the opposition usually gives in, and the game becomes easier."
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