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File photo of Virat Kohli© AFP
Star India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli opened up on the "beauty of ODI cricket", saying that the format needs one to utilise all facets of the game and spoke on general public and players' lack of patience in the format in current days. Virat was speaking on the latest episode of the RCB Podcast, released on the franchise's YouTube channel. With his consistency, records, and match-winning ability, Virat has made a case for himself as perhaps the best ODI batter ever, with 14,181 runs in 302 matches and 290 innings at a stunning average of 57.88, with 51 centuries (most by a player) and 74 fifties. He holds plenty of records in the format and has a 50-over World Cup title and two ICC Champions Trophy titles to his name.
Speaking on the podcast, Virat said, "The beauty of one-day cricket and a lot of people realised that in the Champions Trophy as well. You need to bring in all facets of your game to be successful in ODI cricket. You need to have patience, you need to have the explosive game, and you need to have stamina. You need to have explosive power and to have that intensity, especially while fielding. Because it's not a format that is running slow."
He said that one needs to show the T20 intensity over the period of 50 overs and though with lesser ODIs being played, players have got more used to lengthy Tests and quick T20s, one still needs to be dynamic in ODIs. He also noted the struggles of the younger generation, who grew up on a healthy diet of T20s, in adapting to the tempo of the 50-over format.
"You still have to apply all those facets of the game because sometimes the conditions might not allow you to play in a T20 manner. So you have to buckle down, still strike at 90, 92, still rotate, strike, still hit the odd boundary. So it is a very calculative kind of a format where the situation tells you what you need to do," he said.
"You have to have all the facets of your game ready to be able to apply them in different scenarios. And I have seen that especially with the players coming up, they are still trying to figure out how to play this format."
"Because they have gotten so used to flat pitches and just wanting to hit the ball that when it is not there, the second option for them, and I understand that because their cricket is based on a lot of T20 cricket and a lot of ODI cricket which has to be attractive for people to watch. Because people are also getting used to watching the slam bang, hit the ball, 6s, 4s all the time. That high-pressure games, they are only engaged in a format like Champions Trophy or World Cup. Outside of that, they do not have patience for it," he continued.
Virat noted that during India's ICC Champions Trophy win, where he finished with 218 runs in five matches at an average of 54.50 with a century and a fifty, the pitches were challenging in Dubai and the tournament format was kept short. This led to people being engaged in the tournament.
He also said that the big games truly showcase a player's character.
"And I always tell people that through playing all the bilaterals and everything, the real characters of people will be revealed when the big tournaments come. Because in big tournaments, you have two games to mess up. For example, in the IPL, you get 14 games.
There you mess up two games, your flight's done. Your ticket's booked. So how people handle pressure, are they still able to follow through with their games? And the ones who will are the ones who will start becoming the match winners eventually in whatever amount of time," he added.
Virat continued, saying that his generation of players grew up watching ODI cricket without any field restrictions, reverse swing, and hence were exposed to plenty of strike rotation and handling of pressure by players.
"And then we had to evolve to the explosive game that these guys have today. So it is a give and take. You have to learn from each other's skills to eventually make your game well-rounded so you can perform in different situations," he added.
The 36-year-old noted that the key focus during the ODIs these days is the first 10 overs of the powerplay and the last 10 overs, the death overs phase, but the real test for teams is the middle overs from 11-40 overs.
"That is where you operate as a bat and that is where you operate as a fielding unit with your bowling changes. So how do you own those middle overs? Is that the key to success? Because we saw that reflected in numbers," he added.
The veteran said that while some players feel the itch to score a boundary regularly and get anxious if they do not get one for three overs, he is happy rotating the strike and getting an odd boundary every now and then, mostly focusing on his functioning in the middle overs passage.
"My output is, okay, what is the score on the board? We are 15 overs into the game. We're 70. What are we chasing? What are we looking to set up? By over 35, next 20 overs, this is the score that we should have. Which is a realistic target. And when you have that calmness and composure, the opposition can also feel it. And if they're not able to stop runs, at the same time, you are not giving them chances to get out, your chances of succeeding become higher," he added.
He also said that during the middle overs, exerting pressure as a bowling unit is "underrated".
Inside the 30-yard circle, how you field, how you stop singles, are you able to move well as a fielder in a hot spot, and you stop two singles here and you stop a single there and the guy goes for a big shot. This thing will never be highlighted. But the kind of pressure you can create as a fielder through the middle overs, for that, you need physical preparation.
Every ball, same intensity for 40 overs. It does not come on the day. It comes with the work that happens off the field. How you eat, how you sleep, how you train, how well you are prepared physically. Then you will be able to go there and say, okay for 100 overs, this is the intensity I have to put out, and I am ready for it. Then you can start creating a difference. So I think with time, all these guys will realize that this is the kind of effort that's going to take to be very efficient in ODI cricket," he concluded.
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