T20 World Cup 2021: "Virat Kohli's hunger for success is just unbelievable" - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has hailed Indian captain Virat Kohli's "unbelievable hunger for success" and consistency over the years. Rohit said that since Kohli's debut, the skipper has evolved every year, while always putting his best foot forward.

Rohit's remarks came in a video released by the ICC ahead of India's T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi today. Many of Virat Kohli's cricketing associates, including Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, head coach Ravi Shastri and Ravindra Jadeja, paid tribute to the skipper.

Rohit Sharma said:

"His hunger for success is just unbelievable. It's not easy to just go out there and do it consistently, which he has done so well. He came in 2008, and he's evolved as a cricketer since then. I mean, over the years he's added little, little cents to his game and just evolved every year. All those years, as I see, he's put his best foot forward."

Looking back at his 'unbelievable' 13-year-old journey, Virat Kohli said he had never imagined coming this far as an Indian cricketer. He also asserted that his prime focus now is to win India games from any situation.

Virat Kohli said:

"If you look at things from the worldly point of view all the time then you are not focussing on things that can be miraculous. 13 years down the line, I couldn't have imagined I would come this far to be honest (chuckles). But it's been unbelievable, it's been a ride full of amazing moments, amazing memories. Just the pride to play for India, getting to play so many games for India, for me that's the most special thing. And the focal point of my career till now is I want to find ways to win a game of cricket from any place and I'll give absolutely every I have to be able to do that.

The 32-year-old added that at the moment, he's content with what he has achieved in the last decade. He said:

"At this time, I am in a very happy and content space in terms of the journey of my career. I am very happy. I am a very happy man sitting here 13 years later."

While he may not have an ICC trophy to show for his efforts as skipper, Virat Kohli has propelled Indian cricket to newer heights in all three formats of the game, both as a player and as a captain. He has played 442 international matches, scoring over 23000 runs, and has innumerable records and achievements to his name.

Virat Kohli plays cricket the way it needs to be played: Ravichandran Ashwin

Decoding what makes Virat Kohli special, Ashwin said in the video that he plays all formats of the game as they are supposed to be played.

The off-spinner observed that Virat Kohli doesn't tamper with his technique and plays every match with a similar mindset. Ashwin claimed:

"The fact is that he's a wonderful batsman and he just plays normal cricketing shots. I think Virat is one who genuinely plays T20 cricket the way it needs to be played, One-Day the way it needs to be played and so is Test cricket. I think the reason is he doesn't change much at all, he plays the same sort of shots and has similar game plans in all formats."

The India-Afghanistan clash, which will start at 7:30 PM IST, is a must-win one for the Men in Blue and the focus will once again be on the skipper to inspire a struggling bunch to victory.