Virat Kohli not too impressed by ECB’s 100-ball cricket

Virat Kohli does not seem to enthusiastic about The Hundred, the inter-city 100-ball format of cricket planned by ECB, pointing out how commercialism “is taking over the real quality of cricket,” as he told Wisden Cricket Monthly ahead of the fourth Test between India and England, at Rose Bowl, Southampton. In fact, Kohli has announced that he is definitely not going to be part of the tournament. The idea of five-ball overs, with two overs bowled from a side before change of ends, has not impressed him one bit.

Kohli added: “Obviously for the people involved in the whole process and the set-up it will be really exciting but I cannot think of one more format, to be honest. I’m already very … I wouldn’t say frustrated, but sometimes it can get very demanding of you when you have to play so much cricket regularly. I feel somewhere the commercial aspect is taking over the real quality of cricket and that hurts me.

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“I don’t want to be a testing sort of a cricketer for any new format. I don’t want to be someone who’s going to be part of that World XI who comes and launches the 100-ball format.

“I love playing the IPL, I love watching the BBL, because you’re working towards something, competing against high-quality sides and it gets your competitive juices flowing. That’s what you want as a cricketer. I’m all for the leagues but not to experiment.”

Having said that, Kohli still wants to be a part of the County Championship. He had signed up for a one-month stint with Surrey before a neck injury ruled him out: “County cricket always intrigued me. Unfortunately it couldn’t happen this time but I would love to come again. I’ve heard so much from so many players over so many years that it has really helped them understand their games even better. Also just to understand how professional the set-up over here is, how the longest format of the game is looked at with so much respect.’’