“At times it might mean picking a fight” - Marcus Stoinis explains what sets Virat Kohli apart

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis reckons that Virat Kohli is among the most successful cricketers of the modern era because he has figured out the best version of himself. He stated that the Indian batter does most of the things keeping this aspect in mind, whether it is picking up a fight or getting the crowd on his side.

Kohli, who is among the most successful batters in cricket history, is currently preparing for the Asia Cup, which will be played in Sri Lanka and Pakistan from August 30 to September 17. Subsequently, India will face Australia in a three-match one-day series before taking on the same opposition in their World Cup 2023 opener in Chennai on October 8.

In an interview on Revsportz, Stoinis praised Kohli and shared his views on why the former India captain has been so successful.

“If you ask anyone, his skills are as good as we have seen probably throughout the history of cricket. What sets him apart for me is his ability to bring that energy and passion to absolutely every game of cricket. He’s figured out what his best version is in terms of performance. It seems like he can channel that and bring that energy every single game," he said.

“Yes, at times it might mean picking a fight or getting the crowd on his side. But it’s very clear to me that he understands himself, understands what his best version is. He is amazing at getting himself into that mindset every game. That’s a special skill that I don’t think many can do. We all work to that. But that’s something that I see in him that I definitely admire,” Stoinis added.

Kohli has so far featured in 111 Tests, 275 ODIs, and 115 T20Is, scoring over 25,000 international runs with 76 hundreds and 131 fifties.

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“You can set the tone for the tournament” - Stoinis on Australia facing India

India and Australia will begin their World Cup 2023 campaign by taking on each other. On whether starting the big tournament with a high-pressure game is an advantage or a disadvantage, Stoinis explained:

“You can set the tone for the tournament I guess. Leading into the tournament, we have also got a tour to India, where we play three ODIs. The teams will know each other well. Being one of the first games of the tournament, playing each other early will be a good chance for both sides to set the tone. It’s a long World Cup. There are nine round games, so getting a few big wins early could be obviously the way everyone wants to start.”

While England are defending champions in the ODI World Cup, India lifted the trophy at home back in 2011.