Virat Kohli is in the form of his life. Not only is he amassing runs at a canter and slamming hundreds at will, he is also leading his team to one series win after another. Since taking over the India captaincy reigns from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kohli has only climbed up the ladder.
Kohli's form with the bat and his leadership skills has proved as an inspiration to his players, who are never short of praises for their captain. In fact, the players from the opposition teams too acknowledge Kohli's prowess.
In an exclusive interview with India TV, young New Zealand batsman Henry Nicholls has praised the Indian captain for his leadership qualities and his abilities as a batsman.
"Virat's records and stats speak for themselves, he's a fantastic player and a wonderful captain for India. It is a great challenge for us to play against him, we enjoy such challenges on the cricket field," Nicholls told India TV.
Following a hard-fought three-match ODI series - won by India 2-1 - the two teams are ready to square off for the three-match T20I series beginning on Sunday at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
The Black Caps have left everyone surprised with the kind of cricket they played against India. Before the start of the series, nobody gave them a chance but Kane Williamson's men stunned the much fancied India by 6 wickets in the first ODI in Mumbai. The hosts bounced back in the second game in Pune to take the series to the deciding third ODI in Kanpur, where the Kiwis almost took the game and series away from India before falling agonisingly short by 6 runs in the chase.
Nicholls said his team is optimistic of carrying the momentum into the T20I series as well.
"Yes, it would be great if we continue our good form against India in the shorter format. we also played the T20I world cup here in India and we hope to continue the momentum in the T20Is," he said.
"It would be nice to win 3-0 but our aim is to start well by winning the first game in Delhi, we need to start the series on a positive note. There are a lot of quality players in the Indian team who have immense experience of playing at the highest level. It's important for us to do well against a quality team like India," he added.
(With inputs from India TV Sports Correspondent Vaibhav Bhola)
