'Virat Kohli showed great intent' - Rohit Sharma praises star batter despite his golden duck at Chinnaswamy

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Virat Kohli registered his first-ever T20I golden duck in the third T20I against Afghanistan on Wednesday but received praise from his captain Rohit Sharma after India's thrilling win in the second Super Over of the nail-biting match.

Kohli, who plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL, walked out at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru amid tremendous applause and huge expectations from the fans, but ended up getting out on the first ball he faced.

The 35-year-old batter took an aggressive route on the very first ball and went for a pull but ended up top-edging the delivery to mid-off. There was a pin drop silence as Kohli walked back to the pavilion.

However, Rohit Sharma praised Virat Kohli for showing intent after winning the series 3-0. He said that Kohli does not play aggressive shots early in his innings.

“Virat doesn’t usually play the first ball like this but he showed great intent,” he remarked to Jio Cinema.

The statement comes in the lead up to the T20 World Cup 2024. India are looking to go all guns blazing with the bat in the ICC marquee, and for the same reason someone like Shubman Gill has made way for Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top.

Virat Kohli failed with the bat but gave it his all in the field. Pictures of his leaping boundary catch off Washington Sundar, reminiscent of Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling action, went viral on social media. He later took a diving catch to help Avesh Khan remove Najibullah Zadran. In the first Super Over, Kohli's rocket throw sent a dangerous Gulbadin Naib packing on the first delivery of the over.