In an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli opened up on his struggle during the recently concluded T20 World Cup, where India emerged victorious despite Kohli’s personal batting slump. Aggressive batsman and captain Kohli admitted that it was his ego that played its part during his underwhelming performance throughout the tournament.
Virat Kohli confessed to the PM Narendra Modi, “This day will always stay in my memory because during the entire tournament, I wasn’t able to contribute to the level which I wanted to for the team during this T20 World Cup final.”
While his teammate and captain Rohit Sharma kept things steaming on the scoreboard, Kohli himself was getting out for low runs every time. He shared his anxieties with head coach Rahul Dravid, saying, “There was a point when I told Rahul bhai that I am not doing justice with myself and the team so far.”
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Though not so confident, Virat Kohli did come up with an important knock during the high-pressure final against the South Africans. He recollected the entire moment of low and high sentiments during the game.
“When I struck three boundaries in the very first over.I told Rohit that ‘What a game this is! One day you feel like not being able to score a single run and then there’s another when everything starts working out’.” However, this early flourish was shortlived. As wickets fell, Kohli realised the requirement to subjugate his personal performance for the sake of the team’s victory. “So when we lost three wickets, I had to surrender myself to the situation. I was only focussing on what’s important for the team,” he said.
Virat Kohli seems to have humbled a lot, talking about keeping ego aside and how no one is bigger than the game itself. Modi ji being a politician won’t accept it publicly but hope he realised it too after scoring 240. pic.twitter.com/49ceQxjJxL
— EngiNerd. (@mainbhiengineer) July 5, 2024
Reflecting on his struggles, Kohli revealed that his ego came in the way. I felt that I have been pushed into that zone and I can’t explain the reason behind it,” he told the Prime Minister. “Later, I realised, what’s destined will happen. I realised when you feel you can do anything, your ego takes over and the game pulls away from you. I had to keep my ego aside. The situation was such that I had to keep my pride aside for the team. When you respect the game, it respects you. So that’s what I experienced.”
While he could not elaborate about his issues to his family due to the time difference, Virat Kohli counted on the constant support of his family.
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“The good thing is, that there’s was a sizeable time difference so I didn’t talk to my family much. My mother ends up getting worried,” Virat Kohli said with a chuckle.
Kohli’s admission of his inner battles during the World Cup only brings out the point that mental battles are there for every athlete, no matter how seasoned. His journey from self-doubt to making that crucial contribution in the final serves as a lesson in team success and being respectful toward the game.
