India batter Virat Kohli scored his 30th T20I half-century in the second match against West Indies on Friday (February 20). Kohli added 52 runs in just 41 balls as India beat West Indies by 8 runs to seal the series.
Kohli batted with intent and showed aggression from the initial phase of his knock. He has equaled captain Rohit Sharma in the list of most half-centuries by a batter in T20I cricket.
Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar commented on Kohli's batting in the second T20I and he admitted that some of his shots were refreshing to his eyes.
Speaking on Star Sports, he said, "We have seen Virat Kohli all this while and he is the same. Yes, he played some of those delicate shots - the cut and guide shots - which we normally don't see because he prefers to play in the 'V' and shots which are along the ground most of the time.
"So to see him play those aerial shots was refreshing because it shows there is a different purpose now. We talk about intent, but his batting showed purpose and that was not to get the bowler to get on top because of the early wicket of Ishan Kishan."
Gavaskar praised the ex-India captain for not playing many dots in a T20I innings and going for single and double when needed. “Even Rohit said it that Kohli took the pressure off him. Rohit wasn't in his usual flow today in the match. So you need one man to take the pressure off the other.
"Also there is running between the wickets. More than anything else with Kohli is that he has got the instinct for a run where a run should be, and instinct that there should be minimum dot balls in an innings,” he added.
(With Star Sports Inputs)
