[Watch] Virat Kohli wins dressing room medal for best fielder in IND vs AFG T20I series
Team India's star batter Virat Kohli has been awarded the Fielder of the Series medal by fielding coach T Dilip for the recently concluded three-match home T20I series against Afghanistan.
Kohli was exceptional in the field in the third and final T20I in Bengaluru on Wednesday (January 17). In the 17th over of the run-chase, he came up with a stunning acrobatic effort, jumping high to save a certain six.
The effort mattered a lot in the context of the game, given that it went down to the Super Over, with both sides finishing at 212 following their respective innings.
Announcing Kohli as the winner of the dressing room award, Dilip urged the youngsters to try and replicate the seasoned campaigner's intensity. In a social media post by the BCCI, he said:
"He took two medals in the World Cup. And I still remember in West Indies, when he told me he doesn't want to stand in slips, wanted to in short or fine-leg; challenging the youngsters, that he wants to be the best in the World Cup, and he showed that. This is the intensity the man gives to the team. He not only does his job well, but apart from that, he inspires everyone.
"It is a great opportunity to be playing along with him. I would like the other youngsters to come up and start replicating, doing half of it, and the whole team will look very different."
It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli pipped fellow nominee Rinku Singh to win the Fielder of the Series award. The Men in Blue completed a 3-0 whitewash over Afghanistan in the series.
"He showed the intent" - Rohit Sharma on Virat Kohli looking to attack right from the first ball
Virat Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck in the third T20I. He perished while trying to play an attacking shot off left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmad. Sanju Samson also bagged a first-ball duck in the clash.
While the batters failed to fire with the bat, skipper Rohit Sharma praised Kohli and Samson for aligning with the team's mindset. Speaking to Jio Cinema after the match, Sharma said:
"We only need to give the players clarity to the players about their position and the manner of cricket we want them to play with. The boys know what to expect when they come out onto the ground. As you saw today, Virat Kohli tried to go hard from the word go, he normally does not do that, but he showed the intent. Same with Sanju Samson, he was out first ball, but the intent was there."
Rohit Sharma stole the show with his batting exploits, notching up his fifth T20I century. He remained unbeaten on 121 in just 69 balls, helping the side register an impressive 212-run total despite a shaky start.