'Not surprised by Jadeja's rise' - Kohli
Virat Kohli, India's captain during the ODI series in Zimbabwe, has said he is "not surprised" by Ravindra Jadeja's rise in the ICC ODI bowlers' rankings after the left-arm spinner jumped up four places to be joint No. 1 with West Indies offspinner Sunil
ESPNcricinfo staff
08-Aug-2013
Virat Kohli has lauded Ravindra Jadeja for his phenomenal rise in ODIs • AFP
Virat Kohli, India's captain during the ODI series in Zimbabwe, has said he is "not surprised" by Ravindra Jadeja's rise in the ICC ODI bowlers' rankings after the left-arm spinner jumped up four places to be joint No. 1 with West Indies offspinner Sunil Narine.
Kohli lauded Jadeja's performances during the last two years and said he has made a "huge impact" in India's recent ODI victories.
"I am really happy for Jadeja that he is the No.1 bowler in the world and he deserves it," Kohli told IANS at a promotional event in Delhi. "He is one of those guys who will always make something happen on the field. When he comes on to bowl, he will probably get you the breakthrough or just control the run flow straightaway. He has made a huge impact on our ODI victories.
"I am not surprised, to be honest. He has made huge strides in international cricket specially in the ODIs. In the last one or two years he has really been consistent with his bowling. Plus, he chips in with the bat every time the team needs."
Jadeja took only five wickets in five matches against Zimbabwe but is the leading wicket-taker this year in ODIs with 38 wickets from 22 matches, with an average of 18.86 and economy of 3.78.
Kohli has led India in eight ODIs but the series against Zimbabwe was his first full series as captain which India won 5-0. Kohli stated he has spoken to MS Dhoni several times about captaincy, among other things, and has picked up several tips from him on the field.
"I spoke a lot to Dhoni about how to keep my composure in difficult situations," he said. "I have seen him and he does not react at all, it is a very hard thing for a captain and I tried to learn as much as I could from him. I spoke to him about field placings, when to control a certain situation in a match, when to go defensive and when on the attack.
"I observe him a lot when I am standing with him on the field. I notice what he tries to do with his bowlers and field placements. I have really learnt a lot from him and it has really helped me in leading the side."