Virat Kohli has been in outstanding form in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 354 runs in five outings.
New Delhi: The modern-day great batter Virat Kohli has expressed his eagerness to test himself against the two English players during the high-voltage match against Jos Buttler-side in their ODI World Cup 2023 match at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday, October 29.
The Indian batter wants to test his skills against the real pace of Three Lions bowler Mark Wood and experienced leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the upcoming clash.
The Rohit Sharma-led India is undefeated in the mega tournament with five wins in five matches. The defending champions England, with just one win in five games, faces a slim chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.
In a recent interview on Star Sports, Virat Kohli was asked about the bowler he is looking forward to face-off to which the Indian batter signalled out Mark Wood. “I’ve faced Mark Wood before. I believe he’s an excellent bowler with the skills to trouble batsmen. I want to challenge myself against genuine pace.”
The Indian Stalwart also acknowledged Three Lions wrist-spinner Adil Rashid, and Virat also said that the English wrist-spinner is a challenging bowler.
“Adil Rashid is an underrated bowler who has been performing exceptionally well for England. He’s a challenging bowler that I eagerly anticipate playing against,” Kohli added.
The right-handed batter has a good record against Adil Rashid in ODIs, having an average of 70.66 and being dismissed by him only three times.
The former Indian skipper also praised England batter Joe Root, highlighting his admiration for Root’s reverse slap shot. “Joe Root is a fantastic all-rounder. I admire the way he executes the reverse slap shot, and I would love to incorporate that shot into my game someday,” he concluded.
Virat Kohli has been in outstanding form in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 354 runs in five outings at an average of 118.00. He is currently India’s highest run-scorer in the tournament.
Kohli has scored one century and three half-centuries in the tournament so far. His century came against New Zealand in a challenging chase in Dharamsala, where he led his team to victory with a masterful knock of 95.
Kohli is now just one century away from matching Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI hundreds. If he can maintain his current form, he will have a good chance of breaking the record in the World Cup.
The ‘Men in Blue’ are coming into their upcoming match against defending champions on Sunday after beating New Zealand by four wickets.