Karn Sharma, who has been part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad and shared the dressing room with former captain Virat Kohli, recently shared a memorable story from his time with the Indian cricket team. Though Kohli no longer leads RCB, Karn made his Test debut under Kohli’s captaincy during India’s 2014-15 tour of Australia.
The spinner recalled a moment from the first Test of that series in Adelaide, which also marked Kohli’s debut as India’s Test captain. In that match, Australia declared their second innings at 290, setting India a challenging target of over 300 runs to chase in 98 overs. With early wickets falling, India found themselves in a precarious position.
However, it was Kohli’s fearless approach that left a lasting impression on Karn Sharma and the rest of the team. Rather than playing for a draw, Kohli made it clear that India would go for the win, injecting a sense of positivity and belief into the dressing room.
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“We were chasing over 300 runs, and Virat said, ‘No draw. We are going to chase it down.’ That attitude sparked a lot of positivity among the players,” Karn Sharma recalled during an interview on Manjot Kalra’s YouTube channel. “Different captains have different approaches, but his words showed that our captain had a different mindset. He always gave the impression that everything was fine, regardless of the situation.”
Karn Sharma also praised Kohli’s resilience, noting that despite the pressures of Test cricket, Kohli never appeared to be bothered by a bad performance. “Through his preparations, fitness, and mental approach, Kohli never seemed too stressed,” he added.
During the match, Kohli and Murali Vijay built a solid 185-run partnership for the third wicket after India was struggling at 57 for 2. Unfortunately, after Kohli’s brilliant 141 and Vijay’s 99, India fell short by 48 runs.
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Reflecting on the game, Virat Kohli said, “If me and Vijay had added 40 more runs, the outcome would have been different.” Kohli’s fearless attitude and belief in his team’s abilities left a significant mark on those who played under him, shaping the aggressive and determined mindset that has become synonymous with Indian cricket.
