Virat Kohli says ‘we can’t keep winning 12 months in a year’ after 372-run triumph over New Zealand

Virat Kohli became the first international player to win 50 games at least in all formats of the game after Team India's 372-run win over New Zealand in the second Test in Mumbai.

Team India skipper Virat Kohli celebrates a New Zealand wicket on Day 4 of the second Test in Mumbai. (Source: Twitter)

Team India captain Virat Kohli, who became the first international player to record 50 international wins in each format of the game, felt 2021 was a good year for the senior team apart from the blips in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 and the World Test Championships final. Kohli’s side defeated New Zealand by 372 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday (December 6) to win their 14th consecutive series at home.

Kohli said that Indian fans expect the team to win ’12 months’ in a year which is not ‘humanly possible’. “This year has been good for the Indian team, apart from the two setbacks in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 and the World Test Championships final. But we can take confidence from these losses to work on the areas we need to improve. We can’t keep winning 12 months in a year, that’s not humanly possible,” Kohli said during the virtual press conference from Mumbai on Monday.

CHAMPIONS

This is #TeamIndia's 14th consecutive Test series win at home.#INDvNZ @Paytm pic.twitter.com/FtKIKVCzt8 — BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2021

Indian skipper and the national selectors have a ‘happy headache’ after ‘man-of-the-match’ Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer’s performances in the series against New Zealand. The team for three-Test series against South Africa is supposed to be announced this week with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant expected to return to the side.

“These are discussions that we need to have with the selectors urgently. We need clarity on things whether we continue with the current performers or keep berth for the senior players who were out injured or given a break. We’ll have this discussion immediately after going back to the team hotel today,” Kohli revealed.

Indian skipper and the national selectors have a ‘happy headache’ after ‘man-of-the-match’ Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer’s performances in the series against New Zealand. The team for three-Test series against South Africa is supposed to be announced this week with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant expected to return to the side.

“These are discussions that we need to have with the selectors urgently. We need clarity on things whether we continue with the current performers or keep berth for the senior players who were out injured or given a break. We’ll have this discussion immediately after going back to the team hotel today,” Kohli revealed.

Agarwal, who was under pressure to retain his place in the side after a lacklustre performance in the first Test in Kanpur, scored 150 and 62 in the two innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

“Mayank displayed great application in both the innings of this Test match. Performances like these will build his character as a cricketer and make him more consistent performer for India,” the Indian skipper felt.

Team India captain Kohli is currently in the middle of a rough patch with the bat. The last Test century scored by Kohli was back in 2019 and he will now have one last opportunity to rectify this record in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa from December 26 onwards.

“The process to get out of a slump is the same for everyone. You have to keep working hard, play out 70-80 balls in the middle to unlock the mental space. You have to keep falling back on your processes,” he said.

‘No one can judge Ajinkya Rahane’

Kohli also threw his weight behind vice-captain Rahane, who has averaged less than 20 in this calendar year in Test cricket. There is also speculation that Rohit Sharma might replace Rahane as the Test vice-captain for the upcoming South Africa tour.

“I can’t judge Rahane’s form, in fact, no one can judge his form. We have to back the players who have performed in tough situations for India in the past. We don’t want to react to outside voices. We’ll keep supporting Ajinkya or any other player for that matter,” Kohli added.