It was the fiery knock of the Indian stalwart, Virat Kohli that India managed to register a mammoth score of 373 runs against Sri Lanka as he amassed 113 runs off just 87 balls. Following the 67-run win over the Islanders in the first ODI, Kohli opined that he would like to ‘build on’ from the majestic knock as the ODI World Cup 2023 is on the horizon.
In an interview with the number one batter of the T20Is- Suryakumar Yadav for Bcci.tv, Virat Kohli reflected on his landmark and shared that it was the ‘mental freshness’ that helped him score big. Suryakumar Yadav started the conversation by saying, “Firstly, congratulations on the 100. You ended 2022 with a century, began 2023 with a 100, please take us through.”
Of mutual admiration 🤝, dealing with expectations & starting the year with a glorious 💯
A conversation that will brighten up your Wednesday morning as @surya_14kumar chats with centurion @imVkohli 😃- By @ameyatilak
Full interview 🔽 #TeamIndia #INDvSLhttps://t.co/VVfjt19zRM pic.twitter.com/StExnar1V1
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2023
Replying to the same, Virat Kohli said, “Firstly, I want to wish you a Happy New Year and congratulate you on the amazing things you have been doing. I did not start like these the last two years, I got a century this year, so hopefully, I can build on this because it is also the World Cup year!”
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He further added, “We also have the big Test series against Australia so scoring runs in any match gives you massive confidence. I was happy to bat through the innings and get the team 25-30 extra runs with the due coming in. Sometimes, the mindset goes up and down but keeping the mental freshness is helping me.”
Virat Kohli further stressed the fact that ‘acceptance’ has helped him to keep up with the high expectations from the fans and himself. He also acknowledged that he had started to get frustrated when things were not going well for him over the last couple of years.
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Explaining it further Virat Kohli said, “It is a very intense process to keep up with expectations. When your cricket is going fine, all things flow well but when the form takes a dip, in my case, frustration started creeping in. It was because I wanted to play like my fans wanted me to. But later I realized that I cannot be away from who I am and have to be true to myself. Even if I’m vulnerable or the worst player around, I cannot be in denial and have to accept it.”
India will be on the lookout to seal the series against Sri Lanka in the forthcoming ODI contest at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
