david warner backs virat-kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli has been the flavour of the Indian Premier League this season and everyone including current and former players have been in complete awe of his batsmanship.

Kohli is head and shoulders above anyone else in the tournament this season scoring 919 runs in 14 matches at a Bradmanesque average of 91.90 with four centuries to his credit. He has almost single-handedly guided RCB into the playoffs. (Kohli breaches 900-run mark in an IPL season )

'I HOPE HE BREACHES 1000-RUN BARRIER'

It has been hard to ignore his superhero performances with the bat even for opposing team captains. One such person is Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner, who like all of us, wants to see Kohli breach the 1000-run barrier this season.

"For his sake I hope he gets past the 1000-run barrier. It will be a massive achievement for Kohli and it would be great to witness someone of his class going past a 1000 runs in a single IPL season," Warner told Boria Majumdar in an exclusive interview to India Today Television.

"As a human being he is very passionate, he likes visualising everything. He trains hard and I always see him in the gym. I'm not saying that everybody should train the way he does but that's just how he gets the best out of himself.

"That's why we are all witnessing a young kid who's going to make a legend status out of himself," the Aussie added.

Warner himself has been in terrific form crossing the half-century mark seven times this season. He is second on the list of highest run-getters with 658 runs in 14 matches at 54.83. (Virat Kohli says boring and traditional routine paying off ) 

But as far as Kohli is concerned, he feels the RCB skipper is batting on a different level altogether.

"I want to know what he's taking for hand-and-eye coordination because none of us can do what he's doing at the moment. He's a world class player and is in impeccable form.

"He's been leading by example with the bat in all formats for India and he's been doing the same for RCB in the past couple of seasons. But this year he has taken his batting to a whole new level," Warner summed up.

ON HIS OPENING PARTNERSHIP WITH DHAWAN

"We know each other's game very well and i think if you can read your partner's game then you will have a successful partnership.

"I don't think Sunrisers' batting is over reliant on the openers. The batsmen around us are as important for the team's cause whether we are chasing or setting a target. Virat Kohli for example is playing exceptional cricket with over 900 runs this season, but the other batters like AB de Villiers and Lokesh Rahul have given him great support."

ON THE PLAY-OFF

SRH have qualified for the play-offs as the third best team in the tournament with 16 points from 14 matches. They lost their final league game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday and will have to face them again in the Eliminator at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Wednesday.

KKR have the momentum on their side but Warner says each game is different and the team which prepares well on the day will win.

"We have to take each game as it comes, the end result is a reward for the hard work that we put in on a day to day basis. All we have to do is prepare well for the next game.

"KKR have the experience of winning the tournament twice and they will be tough to beat if on a turning track. But we all know which condition suits us best and what we have to do to win."

Reference : 
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/ipl2016/story/david-warner-backs-virat-kohli-to-break-1000-run-barrier-in-ipl-9/1/675692.html