Virat Kohli’s former teammate Abhinav Mukund has made a shocking revelation on the nature and attitude of the veteran cricketer. Both were part of the India Under-19 campaign and both players remained in touch despite reaching different heights in their careers.
Virat Kohli is currently the joint second-highest run-scorer across all formats in the ODI format as well as international cricket. The batsman made his international comeback in the ODI format with the Australia series, which India lost 2–1. Kohli scored 74 runs with two ducks in the first two matches in the series.
A former U-19 teammate reveals Virat Kohli’s competitive nature
Former Indian batsman Abhinav Mukund, who played with Virat Kohli in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, has made a surprising revelation about Kohli’s incredible determination, grit and competitive spirit in the game. Kohli had led the Indian team to victory in that World Cup and he himself scored runs at an average of 47 at a strike rate of 94.75.
This tournament then laid the foundation of an illustrious career for Virat Kohli, who emerged as one of the greatest cricketers of all time in international cricket.
In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, the former India Under-19 star said, “I always thought he was meant for big things. He was very driven as a person and a cricketer. And he wanted to be the best in everything. He does anything. Even it’s drinking coffee or something like that, right? He used to say, “Okay, I drink it better than you.” And he was that kind of person.”
“Will he be able to maintain this in international cricket?” -Abhinav Mukund
Throwing light on the attitude and approach of the great Indian cricketer since his teenage days, Mukund revealed that he feared whether Kohli would be able to sustain himself in international cricket due to his aggressive nature.
“Virat was always very spontaneous and aggressive. He was ultra-aggressive even then. And he used to go on the field to win. Personally, I always [wondered]: Will he be able to maintain this in international cricket? Because he was very injured all the time. He was very aggressive. I always believed he would play to win, and he would really have a game face,” he said.
Soon after the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, Virat Kohli made his Indian cricket debut in the ODI series against neighboring rivals Sri Lanka.
Virat Kohli was actively part of the Under-19 group during Covid
The Indian legend’s former Under-19 teammate Abhinav Mukund further revealed that Kohli actively participated in the Under-19 2008 squad WhatsApp group during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he could not be sure whether Virat Kohli would still remain a part of the group.
“Captain [Kohli] Was part of it. he was active [on the group] During Covid. I don’t know if he’s still part of it or not. But yes, whenever someone achieves something we keep in touch. For example, two boys became umpires. Saurabh Tiwari becomes member of JSCA [Jharkhand cricket association]All these events are kind of listed, and you just congratulate them. Mukund said, happy birthday.
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