'Go For Milestones But Not At The Cost Of...': Pujara on Virat Kohli’s 100
Virat Kohli scored 48th ODI century vs Bangladesh | Source: X.com
Virat Kohli, the stalwart of Indian cricket, inched closer to cricketing history by registering his 48th ODI century in a recent World Cup clash against Bangladesh at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.
While the cricket world basked in the glow of Kohli's new record, dissenting opinions arose, with some experts and critics alleging that the former Indian captain was more focused on scoring his century rather than prioritising the team's success.
Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara jumped into the ring and was not too keen on Virat Kohli's tactics against Bangladesh. Pujara believes that Kohli should have prioritized the team's interests over personal milestones, especially considering the role of net run rate.
Here’s what Cheteshwar Pujara told ESPNcricinfo:
“As much as I wanted Virat Kohli to score that hundred, you have to keep in mind, you want to finish the game as early as possible. You want your Net Run Rate to be at the top. If you are in a position where you are fighting for the Net Run Rate, then you don't want to look back and say 'you could have done that.”
Pujara further conceded that the player's mindset plays a huge role when it comes to individual records. Pujara added:
“That's where I feel that as a collective decision, maybe you have to sacrifice a bit. You want to look at the team, you want to put the team first, that's how I look at it. You want your milestone, but not at the cost of the team. As a player, you always have a choice. But some players feel if they get a hundred, it helps them in the next game. So, it depends on what kind of mindset you have.”
Kohli anchored the run chase following a robust beginning by India's openers, and he finished the match with an unbeaten 103 runs from 97 deliveries and sealing the victory with a six.
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