Virat Kohli the stellar batter of Team India recently confided that his cricketing journey has been marked by only two heartwrenching moments. Notably he recalled the Men in Blues hefty defeat by seven wickets against West Indies during the 2016 T20 World Cup.
India failed to defend a 193-run target in the quarterfinal round. Recalling the loss, Virat Kohli stated that he was disappointed with the outcome and did not leave his hotel room the next day.
Speaking with Jio Cinema, he said:
“There have been just two heartbreaks in my career, and both were in 2016. One was the T20 World Cup. I was in a space where I thought that I could do anything. The, the no-balls and everything, that took me a lot of time to get over. I was literally drained and didn’t get out of my room the next day.”
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli hit his prime during the 2016 T20 World Cup. Over five matches he accumulated an impressive 273 runs at a striking rate of 146.77. Recognized as the Player of the Tournament at the ICC event Kohlis stellar performance remains unmatched.
He truly stood out as Indias top performer in their disappointing loss to West Indies showcasing an exceptional unbeaten 89 with the bat and making a vital contribution with the ball by taking one wicket.
“We felt like that was written in the stars” – Virat Kohli on RCB’s IPL 2016 campaign
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) came close to winning their first Indian Premier League (IPL). Following an uninspiring start, they won five consecutive matches to secure a finals berth.
However, their aspirations were dashed in the summit battle, where they were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight runs. Virat Kohli cited RCB’s final defeat in 2016 as the other sadness of his career.
“Then, when we lost the IPL final here (M. Chinnaswamy Stadium). We felt like that was written in the stars, from how we made it to the final. Also, the final was at our home ground. We were chasing 200-odd runs and were over 100 runs in nine overs with no loss. When AB (de Villiers) got out, we needed 68 off 42 balls with eight wickets in hand. It’s like how did we lose that game?”
Virat Kohli
Kohli remembered the scene vividly — after the intense IPL 2016 final upon their return to the hotel plans were in place for a postgame soiree. However the mood among the players was somber leading them to retreat to their rooms and forego the celebrations.
“The most heartbreaking part was when we reached our team hotel, the basement was completely set up for an after-party. Everything was there, and there were just four people sitting. We were so heartbroken that nobody even came down.” he added.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohlis extraordinary prowess shone brightly during the exhilarating 2016 IPL season. The maestro delivered a masterclass by amassing a phenomenal 973 runs in just 16 games etching his name in history as the highest rungetter in a single season.