Virat Kohli only plays the ODI format for India over the last 18 months.
The three-match ODI series between India and West Indies is slated to get underway on Sunday (September 27) at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
The series will mark the return of veteran batter Virat Kohli’s return to competitive action after a couple of months. Having stepped away from T20Is and Tests, the 37-year-old focuses exclusively on the 50-over format.
Ahead of the series opener, Kohli opened up on the evolution of his batting approach at this stage of his career. As a one-format player for the past 18 months, he shared that he promised himself to play with more freedom rather than carrying the weight of massive public expectations.
While his primary role has traditionally been to stabilise the innings during tricky scenarios, Kohli now balances that responsibility with a renewed mental freshness.
"What's changed is, firstly, I promised myself that I'm going to play more freely. I'm not going to worry about the expectations that people might have around me. My role had always been, for a long period of time, that I'm going to stabilise things," Kohli told JioStar.
"I know I can play, I know I can hit shots. But the demands are such that if it's a tricky situation and you are playing on a tricky pitch, you eventually get into a space where you're like, I can hit, but I've been given a role," he added.
Kohli aims to create a space for himself where he can contribute 30-40 extra runs for the side. "I am making a conscious effort that if I'm set to make a difference in the game, where you can get 30-40 extra runs. I want to stay in a space where, if I'm choosing not to take a risk, it's because I'm setting up eventually to get to a point where I say, okay, now press the accelerator down."
Recognizing that modern cricket frequently pushes teams toward totals of 340 or 350, Virat Kohli explained his conscious shift toward risk-taking to ensure India regularly crosses the 350–360 run mark.
"The game is changing in a way that, especially if the conditions are fast-paced and good, and other teams are looking to push you towards 340-350, we should be able to get 350-360 as well. I'm very willing to take risks now because I know that if I make runs there, we'll get 350-360 easily. And if I do that and play longer, then I can hit more at the end," he stated.
Kohli attributed his aggressive clarity to unlocking a state of mental freedom, knowing that a middle order is fully capable of handling the situation if he gets out.
"I had to unlock a little bit of that freedom in my own mind. That's also helped me in the IPL as well. I was able to play with that same freedom because I'm not thinking that if I get out, the situation might get difficult for us.
"I have faith in the fact that there are other players around me who are very good and who will be able to handle the situation. I need to express myself fully and find a way to be consistent doing that. That's exciting as well at this stage of my career," he remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)