Virat Kohli: Jofra Archer will be England's X-factor

Archer's whirlwind rise continued when he was named in England's 15-man World Cup squad on Tuesday having appeared in only three one-day internationals.

Published : May 23, 2019 20:33 IST

Virat Kohli: "Archer holds a skill-set that’s very different from anyone else. He can generate a lot of pace, which can be intimidating. You don’t really expect that because of his run-up."

Team India skipper Virat Kohli, on Thursday, hailed England all-rounder Jofra Archer's performances in the lead up to the World Cup, labeling him the “X factor” for the host side in the big ticket event.

“He (Archer) holds a skill-set that’s very different from anyone else. He can generate a lot of pace, which can be intimidating. You don’t really expect that because of his run-up.

“The way he’s come about in the IPL the last couple of years I’ve seen him, there’s good reason why he was fast-tracked into playing for England in a tournament like the World Cup,” Kohli was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.

Archer's whirlwind rise continued when he was named in England's 15-man World Cup squad on Tuesday having appeared in only three one-day internationals.

The 24-year-old, who only made his ODI debut little over a fortnight ago, had told Sky Sports in an interview that "I'd quite like to get Virat Kohli out because I wasn't able to in the IPL."

“Did he say that? I had no idea – that’s news to me," Kohli quipped when asked to comment.