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‘There were all sorts of articles and things written about me questioning whether it was a right move.’
‘There was a lot of negativity around that decision that was made.’
‘MS Dhoni knows his job more than anyone else.’
India’s premier batsman Virat Kohli hit back at critics who had questioned his decision to rest during the T20I series against Sri Lanka in India in February.
Kohli, who returned and played a crucial role in India’s Asia Cup triumph, said that the time away from the game actually helped him rejuvenate and 'come back mentally stronger'.
"There were a lot of speculations about me when I took rest for the tour against Sri Lanka. There were all sorts of articles and things written about me questioning whether it was a right move to rest at that point of time.
"There was a lot of negativity around that decision that was made, but I knew that mentally I needed a break and needed to refresh myself and comeback and do the same thing over and over again.
"Good habits are really hard to create and once you get them you need to be in full flow and continue them day in and day out. I think that break really helped me focus again and continue what I did in Australia.
"I am really glad I could contribute in all the games here,” Kohli said in an interview to BCCI TV.
India are carrying with them some serious T20 form into the T20 World Cup. The batsmen are firing well and the bowlers, with a mix of youth and experience, have put up notable performances.
Kohli believes the team is in good shape ahead of the World T20.
"It is important that everyone stays confident and everyone stays in form. Last few games (in the Asia Cup) we saw Yuvraj Singh playing crucial knocks.
"Suresh Raina is always a dangerous player in T20 cricket, Rohit Sharma has been magnificent and MS (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni knows his job more than anyone else.
"Hardik Pandya is a beautiful striker and now Shikhar is back in form. I am striking it decently as well. Everyone going into the T20 World Cup is feeling good and confident and, hopefully, we can keep things simple and continue this winning momentum forward.
"The boys have played some really good cricket and it has been wonderful to be a part of such magnificent run of form for the whole team,” Kohli said.