Virat Kohli on his outside off-stump peril: ‘It’s been my weakness but I’ve scored a lot of runs on that shot’ | Cricket News

Virat Kohli has admitted that the outside off-stump line has been his “weakness” over the years but it has been also his “strength.” Virat Kohli on Sunday became the fastest batter and third man to reach 14,000 runs in one-day international cricket on Sunday, before going on to hit a record-extending 51st century in the ODI format.
“It’s a catch-22,” Virat Kohli told BCCI.tv.
“I mean, it’s kind of been my weakness as well over the years, but I’ve scored a lot of runs on that shot.

“I think today was just about backing my shots and I think the first couple of boundaries I got were cover drives on the rise, so I really had to just let it go a little bit and take a bit of risk and follow through with my shots, because when I hit those kind of shots, then I feel in control when I bat out there, so it was a good innings for me personally and as you said, it was a great team win.
“I was able to bat the way I wanted to bat and to contribute in a winning cause in an important game obviously feels big, so yeah, it was imperative that we get stuck in and get this win to be able to qualify.”
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India’s Virat Kohli hits winning runs during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Pakan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo)
Virat Kohli powered the chase to finish on 100 not out — hitting the winning boundary — as India beat Pakan six wickets with 45 balls remaining.
“One thing that I’ve always thought of batting at three is to minimise risk and make sure that I put my team in a winning position and if you have a chance to finish off the game in a chase, obviously that’s much better and I always preferred that kind of a situation, but yeah, my role over the years has remained the same, whatever the demand of the game, I put my head down and try to do that,” he said.
“The occasion is always a bit more lively when you play against Pakan, especially in this region because you have equal number of fans from both countries and yeah, it was a great day for us as a team and for me personally as well.”