The Australian opener Usman Khawaja feels that the aggressive behavior of Virat Kohli has been changed and likes the way of batting in recent days.
Usman Khawaja on Virat’s aggressive behavior before World Cup
With the World Cup 2023 set to begin on October 5 in India, the veteran Australian opener Usman Khawaja acknowledges Virat Kohli as one of the best batters in the era and shows his interest in seeing the players game now because of his change in his personality.
Virat Kohli known as one of the most aggressive batters in the cricket world, will be playing in the upcoming World Cup. He had altercations with players like David Warner, Steve Smith, James Anderson, and James Faulkner throughout his career.
However, Usman Khawaja feels that Virat has significantly calmed his temper down on these days due to having a family. While speaking to the media Khawaja said he observed that India’s young generation plays differently and he lauds Virat Kohli for implanting the mindset. He also said Kohli have become more playful on the field.
“When I watched them as a kid, (India) always seemed very placid … but the younger generation plays it differently. They play the game still respectfully, but they’re not afraid to back down from a fight. Particularly when Virat Kohli was captain, he brought that in.”
“I enjoy watching him play more than ever now because he still plays it hard, but he also has a joke on the field, even when we play against him. He’s calmed down a little bit, maybe it’s having a child and starting a family, but this is probably my most enjoyable Virat Kohli in my opinion, because he’s still a gun. Everyone loves watching them play, everyone loves playing against them, but also everyone loves beating them too,” he continued.
Usman feels that India needs everything to go in the right direction for the victory in the tournament. Even a small mistake could have a major impact on their victory.
Highlighting the pressure the Indian team facing, he continued, “They literally have the most pressure in the world. They have the biggest following in world cricket. The pressure on them day in day out is massive, so if they stumble, if they lose a game, if they’re on the ropes, I know the fans can turn real quick. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword.”
“When the pressure cooker comes later on in the tournament when it’s knock-outs, or even at the start, if something doesn’t go right, they’re going to have a lot of pressure on them, so they’re going to have to do everything right,” he concluded.
India is set to play their first World Cup match against Australia on October 8 at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
