Kohli is vital for India, don't get obsessed with stats: Dravid

04.09.2022 - 10:17 news24.com

Virat Kohli remains a key player for India, said head coach Rahul Dravid, who is happy with the refreshed former captain's Asia Cup form and said people should not get hung up with statistics.The 33-year-old Kohli made an unbeaten 59 in India's group win over Hong Kong and looks revitalised ahead of the Asia Cup holders' Super Four clash with fierce rivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday night.Kohli's lean patch - he has not scored an international century in any format since 2019 - has been a constant talking point among fans and pundits.But Dravid insisted the former captain was getting back to top form after a break from the game."It's nice to see that he has come back fresh," Dravid told reporters."He played very well in the last match, and we are happy with his performance.

For us, it's not really about how many runs he makes. "Especially with Virat, people get a little bit obsessed with his statistics and his numbers.

For us, it's not really about that," said Dravid.Kohli revealed recently that he had tried to fake his intensity after suffering mental health issues, before taking a break from cricket and skipping India's tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe.Kohli began the six-nation tournament, which is an important tune-up for the T20 World Cup next month, with a crucial 35 in the narrow win over Pakistan."For us, it's about the contributions he can make in different phases of the game and what the contribution is.

It doesn't have to be in fifties or hundreds or a stat," said Dravid."Even small contributions mean a lot in T20 cricket, what is the role of a player and what the team needs.

cricket Stats Virat Kohli Rahul Dravid Asia Cup Zimbabwe India Hong Kong Pakistan

Openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, put on a record partnership as Pakistan defeated England in the second match of the seven-match T20I series on Thursday at National Stadium in Karachi. Babar anchored the Pakistan chase with an unbeaten 110 from 66 balls, while Rizwan played complemented him with an unbeaten 88 off just 51 balls. Chasing a target of 200, Babar and Rizwan took the home with three balls to spare. While Rizwan has been in top form for the team, Babar's form had slightly dipped during the Asia Cup.

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After a lacklustre campaign in the Asia Cup, the Indian cricket team started their bilateral T20I series against Australia on a losing note on Tuesday. Despite scoring 208/6 batting first, India lost the match by four wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-0-52-0), Harshal Patel (4-0-49-0), Yuzvendra Chahal (3.2-0-42-1), Umesh Yadav (2-0-27-2), Hardik Pandya (2-0-22-0) all leaked runs. Former India player Aakash Chopra feels that with this bowling line-up, India's hopes of winning the 2022 T20 World Cup, that starts in mid-October, has been dented.

Virat Kohli 207 Runs Away From Surpassing Rahul Dravid To Achieve Big India Record

Star India batter Virat Kohli, who ended his two-and-a-half-year century drought in the Asia Cup 2022, had a memorable run in the entire tournament. Kohli ended his campaign with a total of 276 runs to his name, the second highest in the tournament. Kohli is now eyeing a good performance against Australia in the home series and yet another milestone in his career. He is just 207 runs away from surpassing India head coach Rahul Dravid to become the second highest run-getter across all formats for India. When achieves the mark he will also become the sixth-highest run-scorer in international cricket.

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The countdown for the 2022 T20 World Cup has begun. All the teams have named their respective squads and the final stage of preparation has already begun. The Indian cricket team had a hiccup in the preparation phase for the marquee event as it bowed out of the Asia Cup without qualifying for the final. However, one big positive for the Rohit Sharma-led side was Virat Kohli ending his 1020-day century drought. The former India captain scored 122* against Afghanistan while opening the batting in a Super 4 match. That innings has led many to ponder on whether the superstar should continue in that position.

Mitchell Johnson feels it is good for India that Virat Kohli is back among runs again

Mitchell Johnson said that it is good for Team India that star batter Virat Kohli is back among runs once again. "It is good for India when their best player can make runs and keep the side confident. He is that player who changed the focus of the team when he took on the captaincy.