Asia Cup 2022: “An extraordinary sign for Indian cricket and Virat” - Ravichandran Ashwin reflects on Kohli’s 71st international ton

Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has termed Virat Kohli’s hundred in the Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 match against Afghanistan in Dubai as “an extraordinary sign for Indian cricket”. He admitted that the Indian batter would be a lot more relieved with the monkey off his back.

Having skipped the white-ball tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe, Kohli made a return to international cricket during the Asia Cup. It was a memorable comeback as he smashed 276 runs in five matches at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 147.59.

Even as Team India failed to make the final of the tournament, Kohli ended his campaign on a high, registering his 71st international hundred, and first since November 2019, in the Super 4 clash against Afghanistan.

Reflecting on the Indian batter’s special knock, Ashwin said on his YouTube channel:

“Everyone was arguing in which Test or ODI he would score a hundred. Nobody would have guessed he would get his 100 in a T20I match against Afghanistan. But his 71st hundred came in that game only.

“As a teammate, and as a person who has been following his career for a long time, and as a well-wisher of Indian cricket, this hundred is an extraordinary sign for Indian cricket and Virat. It will be a monkey off his back, I believe. He played exceptionally well and will be relieved.”

Kohli scored an unbeaten 122 off 61 balls in the match against Afghanistan, whacking 12 fours and six sixes. It was his maiden T20I ton. Batting first, India posted a mammoth 212 for two and then restricted the Afghans to 111 for eight.

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“Extraordinary knock” - Ashwin on Kohli’s hundred

Analyzing Kohli’s knock in detail, the 35-year-old said that his supreme strokeplay was an illustration of his return to form. He explained:

“When Kohli plays well, the switch-off shots really come good. For example, his pull shot. He also came down the track and played a flip over straight mid-wicket for a six off Rashid Khan. The sweep he played off Mujeeb (Ur Rahman) in the sixth over set the ball rolling. Extraordinary knock.”

Before signing off from the Asia Cup with a hundred, the former Indian captain registered scores of 35, 59*, 60 and 0.