Virat Kohli’s unique technique can leave attacks frustrated. He creates extraordinary angles that defeat field placements, with a combination of bat-speed and strong, flexible wrists.
Even on sluggish surfaces, he generates enormous power to send the ball racing to the fence or land beyond the ropes. He not just employs his bat-speed and wrists to get under the ball for the lofted hits but revels in the arc between mid-wicket and square-leg and, stunningly, slaps the ball square on the off-side.
It’s hard to bowl a line to him because Kohli can whip the bowler from the off-stump. He can also, playing besides the line, slam the same delivery past point.
Actually, Kohli’s bat-speed has, on some occasions, undermined him in Test cricket on pitches with seam movement or sharp spin. There are times when he goes too hard at the ball, without getting his front foot fully forward and across.
In the shorter formats, his methods have been highly successful. Importantly, he handles two deliveries that bowlers use as weapon exceedingly well. Kohli is not vulnerable to yorkers since he has a short back-lift. And he is very good against the short-pitched ball since he can, after transferring weight on to his back leg, pull with panache.
And Kohli, who bats with a still head, is versatile. He can play conventional cricket, score between long-off and long-on with a straight blade before opening out. He is both organised and destructive.
Being a bottom-handed batsman, he is stronger on the leg-side. But then, Kohli, with deft footwork, creates room and then brings his wrists into play to crash the ball through covers inside out.
He can pick the length early and play the ball late. This, combined with his supple wrists, enables Kohli to find the gaps.
