In-form Indian batting star Virat Kohli has an insane record when playing in Australia across the three formats. In T20Is, Kohli’s stats in Australia are special. In 12 innings, Kohli has scored 595 runs with an unreal average of 85 and a strike rate above 145. The right-handed veteran batter has 7 half-centuries down under in T20Is with a highest score of 90 and has hit 41 fours and 18 sixes.
Calling Australian surfaces the best to bat on once a player gets used to the pace, Kohli revealed how he prepares to bat down under in a recent interview on Star Sports.
"I do not watch any videos. I go to the nets straight and try to figure things out, Kohli began.
“Of course, you do look stupid for the first few balls. But there is a natural instinct, you know batting, you react. After this, you realise that if a ball bounces this way, you have to be upright instead of being low in your stance."
"You cannot come prepared from India. You figure out the conditions and you adapt on the field. There are no wickets better for batting than the ones in Australia if you get used to the pace here," he added.
Kohli said that he does not need to really adjust his game when playing in the country, calling it more of a “mental game”.
Across formats in 55 international appearances in Australia, Virat Kohli has scored 3,274 runs in 66 innings at an average of 56.44. He has made 11 hundreds and 17 half-centuries in Australia. Kohli is only behind Sachin Tendulkar among India’s leading run getters in Australia. Tendulkar has 3,300 runs in 67 matches with seven centuries and 17 half-centuries at an average of over 42 in Australia.
Nevertheless, Kohli and Team India face a tough test against South Africa on Sunday in their next T20 World Cup 2022 match. India are the top of their Super 12 group after following the memorable last-ball Pakistan win with a 56-run comfortable win over New Zealand. Second-placed South Africa won against Bangladesh by 104 runs in their last match after being able to earn only one point against Zimbabwe after the match was washed out.
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