IND vs AFG: Livewire Virat Kohli takes home fielding medal after stunning athleticism in third T20I

India registered a thrilling win over Afghanistan in the third T20I of the series on Wednesday, January 17 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru as they beat them after the first-ever instance of two super overs in an international game. In a match, where bowlers were smacked left, right, and centre, some incredible fielding proved to be the difference between the two teams as Indian fielders fought hard to save every run for their side on a good batting wicket.

Star batter Virat Kohli was seen at his best out in the field as he saved a certain six during the 17^th over and took a brilliant running catch in the penultimate over of the innings to dismiss Najibullah Zadran. Courtesy of his immaculate athleticism in the two matches he played, Kohli was awarded the fielding medal, being adjudged the ‘Fielder of the Series’ by fielding coach T Dilip.

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"This guy has shown once again, time and again. The way keeps on coming to you, saving those runs, putting those dives and going to hotspots, you can't take your eyes off, none other than Virat Kohli. This is the intensity the man gives to the team. He not only does his job so well but apart from that he inspires everyone. It’s a great opportunity to be playing along with him. I’d like the other youngsters to come up and start replicating doing half of it. And the whole team will look different,” said Dilip in a video shared by the BCCI.

Watch Virat Kohli's fielding here:

Kohli registered his first golden duck in T20Is

Notably, Kohli didn’t have a memorable outing in the game as he got dismissed for a golden duck for the first time in T20Is. Coming in to bat, at his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore’s home ground, Kohli mistimed one straight to mid-off against Fareed Ahmed on his first ball.

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However, Rohit Sharma (121* off 69) and Rinku Singh (69* off 39) put on a record-breaking 190*-run stand for the fifth wicket off 95 balls to help India recover from 22/4 to 212/4 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, Afghanistan tied the score with fifties from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (50 off 32), Ibrahim Zadran (50 off 41) and Gulbadin Naib (55* off 23). The winner was finally decided via two super overs, with Ravi Bishnoi successfully defending 11 runs in the second one to win the game for the Men in Blue.