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"Annoying but fun": Fan-boy Jansen reacts to facing Virat Kohli in international cricket

Poulomi Chakraborty

Marco Jansen on Kohli's brilliance (Source: @Shuvoji14796462/x.com, @ishwar9405/x.com)Marco Jansen on Kohli's brilliance (Source: @Shuvoji14796462/x.com, @ishwar9405/x.com)

Sunday was all entertaining for the Indian fans as the thrilling ODI encounter between India and South Africa kept them on their toes. From Kohli’s century to South Africa’s undying spirit, Ranchi witnessed a thriller.

Amidst the Indian domination, Marco Jansen’s all-round performance won hearts. Reflecting on Kohli’s masterclass, he recalled the surreal shift, from watching the King on TV to now trying to bowl against him in real life.

Jansen on the surreal shift from Kohli's fan to foe

Over the years, Virat Kohli has remained one of the biggest icons of the game, whose journey from a youngster to a legend is nothing short of fascinating. In the first ODI against South Africa, King Kohli stunned the world with his 52nd ODI hundred, and even the opponent was in awe of his heroics.

As the Protea side showcased their unreal grit throughout the game, Marco Jansen’s heroics won hearts. The Protea star went up against his childhood hero, Kohli, later calling the surreal shift from watching him on TV to facing him on the pitch both ‘annoying’ and ‘fun’.

“It's nice to watch him play. Growing up watching him on TV to actually bowling to him now… it's annoying but it's fun at the same time. He drives well, he pulls well, cuts well, plays with his pads well. I don't think much has changed — he's just batting longer and longer,” Jansen said.

Jansen shares thoughts on Kohli’s sensational knock

Coming back to the ODIs after a month-long break, Virat Kohli resumed where he left off early on. After Jaiswal’s dismissal in the first ODI against South Africa, he joined Rohit Sharma, and the world witnessed another masterclass from him. With a 135-run knock, he put the Proteas on the back foot. Reflecting on the innings, Marco Jansen revealed why dismissing stars like Kohli early is the only way to stay in the game.

“When you bowl to world-class players, it's quite difficult to get them out. I always try to get a batter in his first 10 or 15 balls. That's when they're still getting used to the wicket. But once they're in, and they get on a roll, it's very difficult to stop them. Everyone here knows how to play — that's why you go to plan B or C,” he said.

After a thrilling Test outing on Indian soil, the Proteas eyed domination in the ODI series, but the Indian side dashed their dream. As the next match of the ongoing series is commencing soon, the South African side will be eyeing a fierce comeback.