Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opener Virat Kohli talked about his love for cricket after equaling former Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma in a major IPL record. The former RCB captain equaled Rohit’s record of most Player of the Match awards won by an Indian player In the history of the tournament.
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 guided his team in the run chase by scoring unbeaten 105 runs on 60 balls. The team achieved the target of 193 runs with 5 balls remaining.
What an honor it is to play at this level – Virat Kohli after equaling Rohit Sharma’s record
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Virat Kohli Shows his continued passion for cricket at the age of 37. Kohli also said that he wants to enjoy every moment on the field as his playing career comes to an end. He said that pressure situations still excite him and motivate him to perform at his best.
“Well, despite all that, I still love batting. You know, that’s my core feeling. Look, what an honor it is to play at this level. What an honor it is to still compete with the best players in the world. That’s all I’ve done my whole life,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.
He said, “Cricket is something I really love. And I put my heart and soul on the field, whether I’m fielding or batting, because it’s going to end one day. And I want to make the most of every day I’m on the field and just enjoy and have a lot of fun and look forward to the pressure situations, look forward to scenarios where I feel a little bit of heat.”
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It’s all God’s grace and I am very grateful – Virat Kohli
The former RCB captain also said that pressure situations help him grow both as a cricketer and a person. Virat Kohli said he still enjoys challenging himself in difficult moments and is grateful that his passion for batting has remained 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 as you know, sport teaches you a lot as a person too. So when you continue to perform under pressure you slowly and surely build your character.”
“And for me, even after all these years and numbers and everything 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 by the grace of God. And I’m very thankful and grateful,” he said.
Kohli received his 21st Player of the Match award in IPL history, which is equal Rohit SharmaThis is the record for winning the most awards by an Indian player. In the overall list, AB de Villiers has 25 awards and Chris Gayle has 22 awards. MS Dhoni is second among Indian players with 18 Player of the Match awards.
Not trying to do anything extraordinary – Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli said he avoided unnecessary risks and instead focused on playing percentage cricket by finding gaps, rotating the strike and selecting the right balls to attack. Kohli said he felt happy as he trusted his natural game and executed his shots correctly.
“Well, just my position at the crease, you know, not trying to do anything extraordinary, just supporting my game, hitting a lot of fours, hitting gaps, making it clear where I want to hit sixes, what lengths I want to hit sixes, and just staying in the game, like running a lot of two runs, hitting boundaries where needed, choosing lengths, hitting gaps that I know I can hit.”
“So I was happy with the fact that I was able to support my game and execute the shots that I usually execute to the best of my ability. And that gives me the most consistent, most risk-free cricket, keeping the demands of the situation always in front of me and the needs of the team always in my head. So all those factors there were very pleasing for me.”
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