England players skipper Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, and Will Jacks spoke about their admiration for the India batter Virat Kohli ahead of the semi-final between the teams in the T20 World Cup 2024. The match between the two teams will take place on 27th June (Thursday) at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
Going into the game, Virat Kohli will be one of the key factors for India. Even though he hasn’t been at his best in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, he still will hold the key for his team in the game. This is because of what he has achieved for the team over the last decade in all three formats.
It’s fair to say that with the kind of player, Virat Kohli has been, one cannot write him off. The batter has always stepped up for his team in the big games and it won’t be a surprise if he makes a huge impact for the team in the semi-final at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
Virat Kohli, who has mustered 66 runs in the 6 six innings in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, would be keen to perform in the semi-final and help his team win the game and it’s fair to say that there would be no bigger stage than semi-final to return to form.
England skipper Jos Buttler is well aware of the quality Virat Kohli brings with him. He said that the batter is the key player for his team and pointed out how the right-hander added a few more shots to his game during the IPL 2024.
While calling, Virat Kohli an A-list celebrity, Jos Buttler added that batter has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He added:
“Watching Virat over the years and playing against him, there’s obviously that fierce competitive drive and determination to be the best, I think, and to be the key player. Just watching him bat a lot in the last IPL, he seemed to add a few bits to his game and play in a slightly different fashion and show how successful he can be, which is what we’ve talked about.
“If you want to have a long career, you’ve got to keep getting better and keep finding things to work on. So yeah, he’s done that. And I think one of the biggest things I admire is how he can perform so well with the expectation. He’s a real A-list celebrity. A lot of pressure, I imagine, from the nation is on his shoulders, but it looks like he takes that all in his stride.”
Jofra Archer and Will Jacks speak about Virat Kohli ahead of the semi-final
Jofra Archer also talked about Virat Kohli, saying that the batter can take the game away and bowlers just hope he has a bad day. He stated:
“It’s a different set of emotions every single time you’re born, I think because on his day, he can take the game away from you. So hopefully you just get him on the days that he has a bad day.”
Will Jacks, who played with Virat Kohli in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said that while Virat Kohli is fierce on the field, his off-field nature is very calm and he enjoyed spending time with him in the changing room. He explained:
“I think Virat off the pitch is very, very calm. He’s quite quiet. He obviously spends a lot of time with his family and his loved ones. You can see that. And he’s a really nice guy. I really, really enjoy spending time with him in the changing room.
“I think everyone sees what he’s like on the pitch. He’s obviously the bravado, the giving it everything, 150%. And that’s really cool to see. Obviously, I’d seen that on the TV, but it was nice to see what he was like off the field as well.”
The determination to be the best, performing under pressure, and match-winning prowess – England players #JosButtler, #JofraArcher, and #WillJacks praise #ViratKohli‘s brilliance on and off the field 😍
Will 👑 Kohli lead #TeamIndia to avenge their #T20WorldCup2022 loss and… pic.twitter.com/9JLopfGW3A
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 26, 2024