Page 37 - The Indian EYE 012023

SPORTS JANUARY 20, 2023 | The Indian Eye 37

gained a spot to sit at 8th. Sri Lank- tation, so I play like this, I should play
an skipper Dasun Shanaka scored a like this, I will have to play like this.
fighting ton despite his side losing But cricket didn’t allow me to play in
and has gained 20 spots to move to that fashion. It was a different time
61. for me. And because of that, where
In the bowling charts, Moham- my game was, it was very far away.
med Siraj is the biggest gainer after Because my desires and attachments
scalping two wickets in the first ODI, had totally taken over,” Kohli told
moving up four spots to 18. Suryakumar Yadav in a video posted
In the T20I rankings charts, by BCCI.
Suryakumar Yadav continues his Kohli went on to add it was when
reign at the top of the batting charts, he understood he couldn’t avoid be-
driven by his brilliant century in the ing himself and that he had to be
third T20I against Sri Lanka. true to himself and not be in denial.
Such has been his exploits in the “That’s when I realized I can’t
format, Kohli broke into praise for be away from who I am. I have to be
his teammate, who was interviewing true to myself. Even when I am vul-
him following the Guwahati ODI. nerable and not playing well, I’m the
“What you are doing in the last worst player around, I have to accept
year is something that is very special. it. I can’t be in denial. Because in de-
Something that I have not seen be- Mohammed Siraj celebrates the dismissal of Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando nial, in my case, a lot of frustration
fore,” Kohli said in the interview on during the 2nd ODI match between India and Sri Lanka, at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata on was creeping in and I was getting
BCCI.tv. very cranky, and very snappy in my
“You are creating a different Thursday (ANI Photo) space, which wasn’t good at all. I did
template. You are creating a differ- not feel it was fair on anyone around
ent energy. I can see in the crowds Rajkot, his third in the previous six to India for a white ball tour consist- me. Anushka, my close ones. It is not
when you go. There is genuine love months, to follow up on his 36-ball 51 ing of three ODIs and three T20Is fair to the people that support you
and genuine affection because of the in the second T20I. later this month. The T20I series will and are with you all the time to keep
way you are playing. It is amazing to kick off on January 27 in Ranchi and seeing you in that space. I had to
see and I wish you all the best,” add- The 51-ball 112* was laced good returns against the fifth-placed take responsibility and put things in
ed Kohli. Kiwis could see Surya break yet an- perspective,” the former India skip-
Shakib Al Hasan remains the with seven fours and nine sixes, other record, something he has made per added.
top-ranked all-rounder in the short- not sparing an inch of the sta- a habit of. Praising Suryakumar’s knock,
est format, while Wanindu Hasaran- Kohli said, “Well, I said this in the
ga is displaced by Rashid Khan as dium with his sublime 360-de- I’ve to be true to myself: post-match presentation as well.
the top-ranked bowler following his gree hitting. Unsurprisingly, he Virat Kohli Sometimes what happens is people
struggles in the series against India. look at you differently.
Meanwhile, Australia’s star per- was the Player of the Math as ormer India captain Virat Now, when Surya goes out to
formers from their Test series win India put on a colossal total of Kohli opened up on expecta- play, people think Surya will do it.
against South Africa have been rich- Ftions during his lean run-in Keeping up with that is a very in-
ly rewarded in the latest ICC Men’s 228/5 and went on to register international cricket, saying that tense process. And sometimes what
Test Player Rankings. a massive 91-run win. during that phase he had to be true happens is, when you’re playing
to himself even if he was vulnerable cricket well, your form is good, all
SKY inches closer to all-time Suryakumar Yadav had to wait despite the frustration started creep- those things flow well.”
According to the star batter, his
ing in for him.
T20I rankings record for a long time for the India cap, Heroics by star batter Virat ambitions and attachments had tak-
making his T20I debut after turning Kohli and ‘Jammu Express’ Umran en over at the time, and his game
ndia’s star batter Suryakumar Ya- 30. But there has been no stopping Malik outpowered a fighting century was extremely far away.
dav inched closer to yet another him ever since as he has gone to rack by skipper Dasun Shanaka as India “After that, when I came back
Irecord after smashing his third up runs consistently at a rate not seen defeated Sri Lanka by 67 runs in the relaxed for the Asia Cup, I started
T20I century against Sri Lanka as he before. In 45 T20Is, Surya has accu- first ODI of three-match series at enjoying practice. I started enjoying
extended his lead at the top of the mulated 1578 runs at a phenomenal Guwahati on Tuesday. training again. Which is how I have
ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings. strike rate of 180.34, the highest for Kohli slammed his 45th ODI always played my cricket. What I
His stunning returns in both any batter with more than 250 T20I century and, overall, his 73rd in in- will say is that if you feel a little bit
games puts him second in the all- runs. ternational cricket, on Tuesday. The of desperation, always take two steps
time T20I Batters Rankings, just In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup batter accomplished the landmark back, rather than pushing more and
seven rating points behind England’s 2022, he finished as the third-high- during India’s first ODI against Sri more. Because then things will start
Dawid Malan (915). SKY was placed est run-getter with 239 runs in six Lanka at Barsapara Cricket Stadium to go away from you,” said Kohli.
fifth in the all-time list during the pre- matches while striking at an eye-wa- in Guwahati. Virat’s 45th ODI ton is his 20th
vious update of the rankings but has tering 189.68. All three of his fifties - Kohli admitted that frustration ODI ton on home soil. The knock
now leapfrogged Babar Azam (896), against South Africa, Zimbabwe and had set in while he was experiencing saw him equal the world record of
Virat Kohli (897) and Aaron Finch Netherlands - proved to be crucial a slump, as cricket was not allowing batting legend Sachin Tendulkar of
(900) over the last week as read in a knocks under the circumstances and him to perform in the manner that the most centuries in his home coun-
statement released by ICC. Suryaku- in the case of the latter two, turned he desired. try.
mar Yadav increased his lead at the the tide in favour of India. “But when it dips a little, in my Both batters now have 20 hun-
top of the list from 883 rating points Suryakumar will not have to wait case, frustration started creeping in. dred each in home conditions. Virat
to 908. Surya scored a majestic cen- for too long to gun for Malan’s re- Because I wanted to play in the same took only 99 to accomplish this while
tury in the series-clinching game in cord as New Zealand are set to travel fashion and people have this expec- Sachin did so in 160 innings.

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