'We are still 80 percent' says Virat Kohli after receiving mace

Indian skipper Virat Kohli received the ICC Test Championship mace for the second consecutive time. In spite of the series going 2-1 in favor of South Africa, India managed to retain their No.1 ranking till the cut off date. This is the fourth time India held on the mace, the previous instances during MS Dhoni’s tenure.

The mace was presented to Kohli ahead of the conclusion of the South African limited overs series. India convincingly won the One Day International series 5-1 and the closely fought T20I series 2-1. The 29-year-old has been stupendous form throughout the tour, scoring runs on a consistent basis.

To be a world class side, you have to be 100 percent

Virat Kohli conceded that India was still on their way to be called perfect. He admitted that there were departments where the team lacked and looked forward to covering those bases ahead of the two important tours this year. While India will tour England in July-August, they’ll also travel down under for a full-fledged series against the Aussies at the end of the year.

“I’d say we are still 80 percent. When we are able to achieve what we want to in the two tours, we’ll be more content. But our 80 percent is also exciting. To be a world-class side, you have to be 100 percent. We look at the pitch and adapt to the conditions. Every game is a home game. It’s as simple as that.”

The Indian team thus got a million dollars prize money. While the cut off date is in April, there is no way any team can dethrone them by then. Hence, it was presented to Kohli yesterday. The No.1 ranked ODI batsman would return home as a happy man becoming the first Indian captain to record series victory in South Africa.

Since he’s being rested after a hectic tour, Kohli’s next assignment would be one month later as the IPL commences. Being the most expensive player there, the right-hander will have added responsibility to prove himself. The Royal Challengers Bangalore have never won an IPL trophy and this might just be their year.