Ecstatic and relieved in equal measure after Virat Kohli's heroics against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, his formative coach Rajkumar Sharma said he is hoping that questions on the star India batter's form will stop now. Kohli slammed his 51st ODI century to play a starring role in his team's crucial six-wicket win over Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai, a result that all but put India in the semifinals. "Ab to nahi poochhoge ki Virat form mein nahi hai?" (I hope, you won't ask me that Virat is not in form)," Sharma told 'PTI Videos'. This was Kohli's first ODI hundred since November 2023. The 36-year-old had been drawing a lot of flak for not scoring enough big knocks in the last couple of years.
Sharma maintained that Kohli has never been out of form.
"He has been a big match player as I have always said and that is what he has proved today. He has always performed well against tough opposition," Sharma said of Kohli's unbeaten 100 that also fetched player of the match award last night.
"He has been doing this for the last so many years. He is a guy who has won most matches for the country," he added.
During the course of his knock, Kohli also became the fastest to reach 14,000 ODI runs to be placed only behind Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in the all-time list. Sharma is proud of that achievement too.
"Apart from 51st ODI & 82nd overall hundred, he has completed 14,000 ODI runs as well. It is a big achievement and I am proud of him that he has made the whole country proud. We are all happy that he has given happiness to the whole country," he remarked.
When asked what he would advice him to do from here on to clinch the Champions Trophy, the coach said: "Look, he is such an experienced guy.
"He has played for so long and he knows what is right and what needs to be done and his role in the team and he has been delivering. He knows his role in the team."
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