Former Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane revealed that Virat Kohli never shared the secret to his unparalleled success in the white-ball formats. Kohli is widely regarded as the best in white-ball run chases, thanks to his incredible numbers and numerous memorable knocks in run chases.
The veteran right-hander averages a phenomenal 89.07 in successful ODI run chases with 24 centuries in 105 innings. Kohli boasts a similarly impressive record in successful T20I run chases with an average of 78.61 in 39 innings.
Talking about Virat Kohli’s inimitable performances in white-ball run chases, Rahane said on the Overlap Cricket YouTube channel (58:58):
“It’s his mind and the calculation in his mind. But that’s his secret. I’ve tried to ask him many times but he doesn’t give it away. He will not give you any clue. His ability to take calculated risks at the perfect time is the key. MS Dhoni was like that too. But the calculations in Virat’s head was something else.”
Kohli is one of the most accomplished white-ball batters in international cricket, with over 19,000 runs and 55 centuries in 439 combined ODI and T20I games.
“The reason behind our successful partnerships was the positive and frank communication” – Ajinkya Rahane on his partnerships with Virat Kohli
Ajinkya Rahane believes the key to his successful partnerships with Virat Kohli stemmed from their complementary batting styles and honest conversations. The duo played vital roles in the Indian middle-order during the side’s glory days in Test cricket in the 2010s.
“We complemented each other very well because of his aggressive nature and my calm nature. The reason behind our successful partnerships was the positive and frank communication. We had many good partnerships against Australia. And in those, whenever Virat thought of going against a particular bowler and if my response was positive, he would do it better,” said Rahane (via the aforementioned source).
He continued:
“Virat always liked people coming after him. And he used to ask me if he should sledge the opposition player back. I would tell him ‘Yes, go for it’ as that’s what worked for him. Our camaraderie was great, and we used to spend a lot of time with each other even off the field. We used to talk a lot about cricket, which you don’t see nowadays. He was always positive and used to tell me never to hesitate in attacking a bowler.”
Rahane and Kohli scored 3,661 runs as a Test partnership for India, with an outstanding average of 56.32, including 10 century stands.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
