Virat Kohli, the Indian batter, recently shared that he was ‘zoned out’ when head coach Rahul Dravid spoke to him during a break in their T20 World Cup match versus Pakistan in Melbourne last year. Yet, in spite of the difficult situation India found themselves in at 31/4 while chasing 160 to win, Virat Kohli put together an impressive 82* off 53 balls that brought the victory home for the Men in Blue in a thrilling contest at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
At a recent PUMA event, Virat Kohli shared an amusing incident of how his focus on the match was so intense that he didn’t even pay attention to Rahul Dravid’s advice. He said, regarding the memorable innings:
“I still can’t make any sense of it. That’s a very honest admission. And a lot of people have tried to ask me what were you thinking, how did you plan and I have no answers. The fact of the matter is that I was so much under pressure that my mind had shut off completely by the 12th or 13th over. I was going through what I was going through, then I came back in Asia Cup and I was playing well and I felt like wow I’m ready to play to play in this World Cup.
“At the 10th over mark, we were 31 for 4 and I had just ran Axar (Patel) out. I was 12 off 25, or something. I remember in the break, Rahul bhai came to me and I don’t remember what he said. I swear and I even told him this as well. I told him, ‘I have no idea what you told me in that break because I was zoned out’.” He further added.
After Axar Patel’s departure, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya (40 runs off 37 balls) combined for a 113-run partnership to keep India in the game and alive for a potential victory.
I don’t think that’ll ever happen again: Virat Kohli
The Indian cricketer is still in disbelief whenever he talks about his amazing performance against Pakistan at the MCG. It was an extraordinary experience, something he believes will never be repeated. Virat Kohli said:
“My mind was spinning so fast. I was like this is worse that it was before. I had spiraled down so far down that there is no comeback from here and that was my honest feeling at the halfway mark. That is when my instinct took over. So when I stopped thinking and planning, whatever God-given talent I have that came to the surface and then I felt like something higher was guiding me.
“I can’t claim any of that. I was trying to do it before as well but it wasn’t working. The lesson for me was stop using your mind so much because it actually pushes you away from real magic. What happened that night, I can never explain it and it won’t happen ever again.”