'I haven't played like this in 2-3 years': Virat Kohli expresses joy and satisfaction after Player of the Series award against South Africa

Virat Kohli was in full flow during the series decider against South Africa in Vizag, much like he had been in the previous two ODIs at Ranchi and Raipur respectively. The difference in the Vizag knock was the ruthless attitude from Kohli and it took us back to his peak batting years between 2016-19. Kohli ended with a 45-ball 65 without playing a single struggling stroke to cap off a fine series.

All the talk prior to the Australia tour was about his future and that of his veteran teammate Rohit Sharma but duo has been in stellar form ever since. Kohli did start the Australia series with two ducks but ended it with a fifty, and has followed it up with two hundreds and a half-century in the South Africa series. Like everyone else, the Kohli himself could feel the difference in his batting this series.

"Honestly, playing the way I have in the series is the most satisfying thing for me," said Kohli at the post-match presentation ceremony after receiving the Player of the Series award.

"I feel really free in my mind. I haven't played like this in 2-3 years. I know when I can bat like that in the middle, it helps the team a long way. Makes me confident, any situation in the middle, I can handle that and bring it in favor of the team."

While the media and pundits were debating about his future, Kohli barely seemed like a man under pressure. The two ducks in Australia came through poor strokes but those were the typical Test match mode dismissals that derailed his career in the longest format of the game. Kohli's white-ball game seldom seemed in strife, at least from a run-scoring perspective.

Having said that, Kohli's antics in this series with respect to his fluency and strike rate hint a potential Kohli 2.0 with the modernization of ODI cricket. The next World Cup is still two years away and South African pitches may not be as batting-friendly as they were in this series. Kohli, though, is unfazed and explained how his experience saw him through the so-called troubled phase this series.

"When you play for that long - 15-16 years, you do doubt yourself. Especially as a batter when one mistake can get you out. It's a whole journey of getting better and getting better as a person along the way. It improves you as a person and it improves temperament as well. I'm just glad that I'm still able to contribute to the team."