‘I love playing ODI cricket’

India batting stalwart Virat Kohli has expressed his love for the ODI format ahead of the Asia Cup.

The right-handed batter said that the format always brings out his best.  

"I love playing ODI cricket. I think, for me, ODI cricket is probably the one format which tests your game completely. Your technique, composure, patience, playing the situation, and playing differently in different phases of the game. I think it tests you as a batsman completely," said Kohli, one of the leading run-scorers in ODIs, while he was speaking to Star Sports.

"That's why, I feel that ODI cricket has always brought the best out of me because I like to embrace that challenge and play according to the situation to help my team win. I have always tried to do that, so, as I said, it provides the opportunity to test myself regularly, all aspects of my batting, and that's why I really enjoy playing ODI cricket."

The 34-year-old batter needs 102 runs to become the fastest to 13,000 runs in ODIs to break the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli is in terrific form with the bat in ODIs this year, having amassed 427 runs in 10 games at an average of 53.38, including two centuries. Overall, he has scored 12,898 runs in 175 ODIs at an average of 57.32, including 46 tons and 65 half-centuries.

India will begin their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at Pallekele in Sri Lanka on September 2.