Mahela Jayawardene very impressed with Virat Kohli's development as a batsman

Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene has heaped praise on India’s star batsman Virat Kohli, stating that the 27-year-old was batting with a lot of maturity and plays with little risk.

Kohli has been India’s top run-getter in the competition with 102 runs in 3 matches so far and played a vital role in India’s 6-wicket win over Pakistan at the Eden Gardens last Saturday.

“Virat is the star player right now. I am really impressed by how he has developed. He is batting with a lot of maturity. He does not get rattled by the situation and has that special ability to switch gears. He tries to bat through and does not take great risk. But, at the same time, he is positive and hungry for run-scoring. I think he now really understands his game and knows how to score runs at the highest level. The manner in which he controlled the run-chase against Pakistan was quite brilliant,” Jayawardene wrote in his column for Sportstar.

The former right-hander added that while he considers India the favourites to win the title, there are a few other very good sides in the competition whom they will need to beat in order to win the crown for a second time.

“For many people and pundits, Team India strode into this ICC World Twenty20 as red-hot favourites. They have a rock-star batting line-up with unparalleled T20 experience, thanks largely to the IPL, and a bowling attack with the skilful left-armer Ashish Nehra backed up by some promising pacers and some top-quality spinners. They have intimate knowledge of home conditions and will be cheered on by jam-packed passionate home fans.

The only problem is that this is 2016 and there are at least eight top sides in this World T20 all of whom pose a real threat. The game has moved on, teams have developed and are able to compete in different conditions — as we saw with New Zealand’s brilliant performance against India in Nagpur. T20 is also inherently unpredictable and no team can hold the favourites tag with any sense of comfort.,” Jayawardene added.

Having had the experience of not just playing but also captaining a side at a home World T20 in Sri Lanka in 2012, Jayawardene understands the pressure the host nation is under in such a situation and so he also had an advice for the present Indian team as well.

“My advice to them is for each individual player to work out a way of shutting out all the distractions. It is not always easy, especially in India where passions run so high and there are few places to escape, but you must find a way. I would spend time with family and friends and try to keep things as simple as possible. By removing yourself from the emotions you can allow yourself to be 100% focused on the game and what you do. When your mind is distracted you are most vulnerable to nerves and other negative thought processes,” he said.