Virat: The badge in front of my shirt is a pride to play for my country

Virat Kohli

Mohali: In a fickle format like T20 where consistency is rare, India captain Virat Kohli showed that he is a master at it after his unbeaten half-century on Wednesday helped the Men in Blue beat South Africa by seven wickets to win the second T20I. India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Kohli surpassed Rohit Sharma as the highest run-getter in T20 internationals as he remained unbeaten on 72 to guide the team home here at the PCA Stadium. Captain Kohli revealed the source of his remarkable consistency in the shortest format. "The badge in front of my shirt - India - it is a pride to play for my country. Whatever it takes, whichever format,
to get us across the line, I'll do that.

"Adapting in different formats is nothing but a mindset of making your team win. If you want to win a game for your team, you will find a way. That's the most important thing. I never think about myself, it's always about what the team need. Test cricket, one-day cricket... the will should be to win the game for your country," Kohli said in the post-match presentation.

The captain said the knock reminded him of his 82 not out at this very ground against Australia in the 2016 World T20. "That night [2016 game v Australia] was a revelation of how fit you can be on a cricket field," he said. Kohli also lauded the bowlers for restricting South Africa to 149-5. India fielded a new-look bowling attack with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal rested.

Deepak Chahar, who returned best figures of 2-22, and Washington Sundar bowled a tight line after Quinton de Kock (52) was out thanks to a blinder of a catch from Kohli. "When you play like that and win a game for your team, it is always a good feeling. As long as they [youngsters] show character in difficult situations, they are going to present a strong case for themselves," Kohli said.

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