Asia Cup 2022: “An extraordinary sign for Indian cricket and Virat” - Ravichandran Ashwin reflects on Kohli’s 71st international ton

Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has termed Virat Kohli’s hundred in the Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 match against Afghanistan in Dubai as “an extraordinary sign for Indian cricket”. He admitted that the Indian batter would be a lot more relieved with the monkey off his back.

Having skipped the white-ball tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe, Kohli made a return to international cricket during the Asia Cup. It was a memorable comeback as he smashed 276 runs in five matches at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 147.59.

Even as Team India failed to make the final of the tournament, Kohli ended his campaign on a high, registering his 71st international hundred, and first since November 2019, in the Super 4 clash against Afghanistan.

Reflecting on the Indian batter’s special knock, Ashwin said on his YouTube channel:

“Everyone was arguing in which Test or ODI he would score a hundred. Nobody would have guessed he would get his 100 in a T20I match against Afghanistan. But his 71st hundred came in that game only.

“As a teammate, and as a person who has been following his career for a long time, and as a well-wisher of Indian cricket, this hundred is an extraordinary sign for Indian cricket and Virat. It will be a monkey off his back, I believe. He played exceptionally well and will be relieved.”

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Kohli scored an unbeaten 122 off 61 balls in the match against Afghanistan, whacking 12 fours and six sixes. It was his maiden T20I ton. Batting first, India posted a mammoth 212 for two and then restricted the Afghans to 111 for eight.

“Extraordinary knock” - Ashwin on Kohli’s hundred

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Analyzing Kohli’s knock in detail, the 35-year-old said that his supreme strokeplay was an illustration of his return to form. He explained:

“When Kohli plays well, the switch-off shots really come good. For example, his pull shot. He also came down the track and played a flip over straight mid-wicket for a six off Rashid Khan. The sweep he played off Mujeeb (Ur Rahman) in the sixth over set the ball rolling. Extraordinary knock.”

Before signing off from the Asia Cup with a hundred, the former Indian captain registered scores of 35, 59*, 60 and 0.