In Virat Kohli we trust: Shubman Gill leaves batter alone as India begin World Cup prep

Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls as India chased down 296 against West Indies in the 1st ODI. Captain Shubman Gill said India trust Kohli enough to let him bat the way he wants.

In Short

• India beat West Indies by 8 wickets in the 1st ODI
• Kohli hit an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls, his 4th ODI hundred in 11 innings
• Kohli reached the milestone of 15,000 ODI runs

India captain Shubman Gill is more than happy to leave Virat Kohli alone as India begin their preparation for the ODI World Cup 2027. Kohli, on Sunday, September 27, put up another staggering performance, hitting yet another ODI century against West Indies. Kohli smashed an unbeaten 139 off just 88 balls, helping India chase down 296 runs in just 41.4 overs.

The hundred, Kohli's fourth in the last 11 innings, was yet another proof of the legend, perhaps enjoying his finest batting form in his ODI career. The batter has recently unlocked his ODI batting, where instead of playing the long game, he shows aggression from the very start of his innings.

Kohli's sensational form more or less confirms him for the ODI World Cup spot. Reacting to Kohli's knock after the game, Shubman said Kohli has won enough games for India to let him do his thing and the team trusted him to do exactly that.

"Someone like him, who has won so many games for the country. Who has done it over and over again, you just let him play however he wants to play on the day because when he plays well, he can win matches for you," Shubman said after India's win in the 1st ODI against West Indies.

IN VIRAT KOHLI WE TRUST

Gill's comments underline the kind of freedom India can afford to give Kohli when he is in this kind of form. With the veteran batter continuing to produce match-winning performances, India's captain is happy to let him decide how he wants to approach his innings.

And Kohli knows that his batting has changed.

"I've got a challenge at this stage of my career to kind of up the ante and play a gear or two higher, and yeah, that was exciting for me to work on," Kohli said after his century.

IND vs WI, 1st ODI: HIGHLIGHTS

The 37-year-old said the challenge of finding another version of himself at this stage of his career had been a motivating factor.

"Again, it excites you when you have to unlock a new version at this stage of your career, which will eventually help any team that you play for, be it playing for India or in the IPL."

That new version was on full display in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kohli took 40 balls to reach his fifty before accelerating dramatically. He finished unbeaten on 139 from 88 balls, hitting 10 fours and nine sixes, as India completed a comfortable chase of 296.

His 151-run partnership with Gill was the foundation of the chase. Gill made 110 from 108 balls, but it was Kohli who provided the explosive finish, taking the game away from West Indies in the latter stages.

KOHLI'S LANDMARK INNINGS

The century was Kohli's fourth in his last 11 ODI innings and his 25th century in a successful ODI run chase. That took him further clear of Sachin Tendulkar, who has 14 centuries in successful ODI chases.

It was also a landmark innings in several other ways.

Kohli became only the second batter after Tendulkar to reach 15,000 ODI runs, and he did it in 303 innings, making him the fastest batter to the landmark.

His century also took him level with Sunil Gavaskar for the most international centuries against West Indies, with both batters having 13. Kohli also equalled his own record for the most ODI centuries against a single opponent, having now scored 10 against both West Indies and Sri Lanka.

There was another record waiting for him in the chase. Kohli moved past Tendulkar to become the batter with the most ODI runs in his home country. He now has 7,006 runs in 131 ODIs in India, at an average of 63.69.

He also reached 200 sixes in ODI cricket and equalled Tendulkar's record of 60 List A centuries.

But beyond the landmarks, it was the manner of the innings that stood out.

Kohli's strike rate was above 157, a significant departure from the version of him that has often been associated with building an innings before accelerating later. On Sunday, he gradually increased the tempo before launching into an attack that West Indies could not contain.

Kohli believes the freedom in his batting has come from a combination of his mindset and his physical preparation.

"It's really helped me a lot to play with a free mind, and I think that's what's working for me," he said.

For Kohli, however, that freedom begins with staying physically ready.

"But I think to follow a free mind, you need a fit body. So for me it works the other way around. I stay physically fit and then I'm able to visualise the game in the way that I want to play, which allows me the best chance to go out there and execute in the way that I did tonight."

GILL LOOKS BEYOND THE TOP ORDER

For India, the bigger picture is now about building the side that will eventually head into the 2027 World Cup.

The top order has plenty of experience and firepower, with Kohli and Gill putting together a 151-run stand after Rohit Sharma had provided India with a brisk start. But Gill knows that the team cannot rely only on its top-order batters.

The India captain wants the option of having eight genuine batting choices in the XI, particularly because matches can change quickly even when a team appears to be in control.

"Yeah, ideally yes. We would want an 8th batting option. Someone who can contribute 25-30 runs. We have seen many times, we had been in situations before where we have been in good positions where we were not able to get scores we wanted. So number 8 becomes a crucial position for us. But we are open to trying different combinations and seeing what works for us," Gill said.

For now, though, India's captain has little reason to interfere with what Kohli is doing.

The World Cup is still more than a year away and India have plenty of questions to answer before they settle on their final combination. But with Kohli finding a way to score quickly, dominate attacks and still produce the big innings that have defined his career, Gill is happy to give him the freedom to keep doing exactly that.

In Virat Kohli, it seems, India trust.

- Ends