After returning to his vintage best in the Asia Cup 2022, Virat Kohli continued his brilliance in the just-concluded T20I series against Australia.

In the decider, the veteran batter produced a match-winning knock of 48-ball 63, guiding India to a series-clinching victory in the third T20I in Hyderabad on Sunday (September 25).

After the game, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja heaped praise on Virat Kohli, explaining how the latter became the ultimate 'chase master' since MS Dhoni's retirement.

"I mean that's the key to Indian cricket. I mean it's been that for a while, for a long time. I mean there was a period where Virat Kohli would score runs and if there was anything, MS Dhoni would finish it off at the end," Jadeja said while speaking on Cricbuzz.

"But now with the personnel changing around Virat Kohli it's made it easier for him and it's made it easier for everyone else around him to play at a whole different ball game and the solidity that Virat Kohli provides and for me it's always been the solidity of Virat Kohli not the striking ability. That's why he was a chase master. He is a chase master. He understands the pace of the game. He may not have the striking ability that a lot of players have around the world and in that Indian team but there is no one else that I know who has the consistency of Virat Kohli."

"So if consistency is what you want, this is your man and he's not shown it today, he's been showing it to you for 10, 12, 15 years. It's just that when you expect him to do what the others do, that's when the trouble begins," he further added.

Before the Asia Cup 2022, questions were raised over Kohli’s place in the Indian T20I team as he was enduring an extended lean patch. However, the former skipper silenced his critics as he finished the six-team tournament as the second highest run-getter with 276 runs to his name from five innings at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 147.50, including one century and two fifties.

According to Ajay Jadeja, Kohli's dip in form was never about his 'game' but 'it was more mental'.

"You know we heard just before that Asia cup when he came out and talked about his issues. It was never the game, it was more mental and once you get over that barrier it just releases you and ever since then he's just carried on doing what he does best. Of course, that hundred came which surprised him more than anyone else because this format is not what he was expecting it to do it. But it just takes the monkey off the bag you know. That number of that 100 was there so now even if it's not 100 ,if it's a 30 it looks good, it's 60, looks good, everything else looks good. I think he's found within that team a confidence that this team has had with players."

"A lot of people don't agree with how they play or what the style is going to be but they seem to be happy in that position, they would like to play like that. I think that's the ultimate because if you as players believe in something even if it's wrong or right, somebody else may think it's wrong or but unless you believe it's right, it's not going to happen as often as some you're doing it because somebody else believes this right. Yes, this is this is one thing that you see out of this team coming out," he remarked.

Virat Kohli will now be seen in action in the three-match T20I series against South Africa, starting September 28 in Thiruvananthapuram.