Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener Virat Kohli spoke about his love for cricket after equaling former Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma in a major IPL record. The former RCB skipper equaled Rohit's record for the most Player of the Match awards won by an Indian player in tournament history.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by six wickets at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday, May 13. Kohli scored an unbeaten 105 runs off 60 balls to guide his team in the run chase. The team chased down the 193-run target with 5 balls to spare.
What an Honour to Be Playing at This Level - Virat Kohli After Equalling Rohit Sharma’s Record
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Virat Kohli reflected on his continued passion for cricket at the age of 37. Kohli also stated that he wants to enjoy every moment on the field, as his playing career will come to an end. He added that pressure situations still excite him and push him to perform at his best.
“Well, I just love batting, even after all this. You know, that's my core feeling. Look, what an honour to be playing at this level. What an honour to be competing with the very best in the world still. This is all I've done all my life,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.
"Cricket is absolutely something that I truly love. And I just give my heart and soul out there on the field, whether I'm fielding or batting, because it's going to finish one day. And I want to make the most of every day that I'm on the field and just enjoy myself and have a lot of fun and look forward to a pressure situation, look forward to scenarios where I'm feeling a bit of heat,” he added.
It's All God's Grace And I'm Very Thankful - Virat Kohli
The former RCB captain also stated that pressure situations help him grow as both a cricketer and a person. Virat Kohli said that he still enjoys challenging himself in difficult moments and remains grateful that his passion for batting has stayed strong throughout his long career.
“And then I challenge myself to say, you know what, just go for it. And when you cross the line, it makes you a better player. And sport, as you know, teaches you a lot as a person as well. So you build your character slowly and surely when you keep performing under pressure."
"And for me, even after all these years and numbers and whatever you said, it's still the love for the game. I just love hitting the ball in the middle of the bat. And that joy is still there. And it's all God's grace. And I'm very thankful and grateful,” he added.
Kohli received his 21st Player of the Match award in IPL history, equaling Rohit Sharma’s record for the most awards won by an Indian player. In the overall list, AB de Villiers has 25 awards and Chris Gayle has 22. MS Dhoni is next among Indian players with 18 player of the match awards.
Not Trying to Do Anything Extravagant - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli said that he avoided unnecessary risks and instead focused on playing percentage cricket by finding gaps, rotating strike, and choosing the right deliveries to attack. Kohli added that he felt pleased because he trusted his natural game and executed his shots properly.
“Well, just my positions at the crease, you know, not trying to do anything extravagant, just backing my game, hitting a lot of fours, hitting gaps, being clear as to where I wanted to hit sixes, which length I wanted to hit sixes from, and just staying in the game, like running a lot of twos, hitting the boundaries where needed, picking length, hitting the gaps that I know I can hit.”
“So I was happy for the fact that I was able to back my game and execute the shots that I usually execute to the best of my ability. And that gets me the most consistent, the most risk-free cricket, keeping the demands of the situation always in front of me and the team's need always at the top of my head. So all these factors were very pleasing for me out there.”
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