New Delhi: Team India fans still remember the knock Lendl Simmons played against India in the semi-final of the World T20 to end India’s campaign in the tournament. When he came in to bat, West Indies were reeling at 19 for 2 while chasing 193. Simmons scored an unbeaten 51-ball 82 to guide the Caribbean side to the final.
Simmons missed the final due to an injury, though. The West Indies beat England in a thrilling final match to lift their second World T20 title.
The right-handed batsman from Trinidad has now revealed that it was Virat Kohli who fired him up to play that knock.
"When he (Virat Kohli) fielded, he said something to me, and I said to myself, 'I'm going to show you you're not the only good batsman,'" Simmons was quoted as say by ESPNCricinfo.
"That's the way he is. He's very arrogant, he's very aggressive when he fields, and when he bats as well. He's just a very aggressive person.
"Those things motivate our players and it certainly motivated me. That really urged me to bat the way I did - to show him that he's not the only one who can do it. That played a big role," he added.
Simmons was drafted into the West Indies squad at the last stage of the tournament to replace an injured Andre Fletcher. And his luck followed him to the match as he was twice caught off no-balls.
Simmons considered that knock against India as the highlight of his career. "Every cricketer has his day and you just need to cash in when it is your day. I took full opportunity of that (caught off no-balls) to bat until the end. It was mind-blowing doing that with all those people supporting India and being very loud. It was the highlight of my career," he said.