Virat Kohli, once the Indian team’s captain, recently reflected on his memorable unbeaten 82-run innings against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup staged in Melbourne.
Virat Kohli shared how he prepared for the game. It included making his breakfast, enjoying coffee and visiting the gym. This skilled player also revealed another game day ritual in T20 cricket, taking an afternoon snooze.
In a Star Sports interview, Kohli stated:
“I woke up at 7:30 or 8 and made myself a couple of cups of coffee and breakfast. Surprisingly, I was getting into a routine before every game. I used to go to the gym for mobility exercises, stretches, and stuff. In T20 cricket, I take an afternoon nap.”
Virat Kohli
India was in a dangerous situation at one point, reeling at 26/3 while chasing a difficult 160-run mark. To exacerbate the situation, Axar Patel was run out when Virat Kohli mishandled the situation.
Speaking about India’s situation and the run out, Kohli stated:
“I had not expected that we would lose four wickets so early. I said sorry to Axar; it was my fault. It was spiralling down even further. Looking at the batting lineup, you generally think, ‘Who’s left now’. I could not understand what was happening. There was a run out, and we were 4/45, and I was batting on 12 off 21 balls. It couldn’t be worse than this.”
Virat Kohli
The 35-year-old said that he noticed an argument between the Pakistani fielders on the field and spotted an opening. He said that it was time for him to take things a step further.
“My first words to him (Hardik Pandya) were let’s build a partnership. I very keenly look for a moment where people are arguing over something on the field. That is the time I usually try to capitalise. We had taken the game deep, and this was the time when we needed to capitalise. We got back-to-back fours, so we were on the right track.”
Virat Kohli
Giving India a ray of hope, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya scored an incredible 113 runs for the fifth wicket. But with the equation requiring 31 off 12 balls, the onus was still on the pursuing side.
“He had bowled the best for them in that match” – Virat Kohli on Haris Rauf
Haris Rauf, the swift Pakistani cricket player, was given a crucial job – to bowl the important 19th over. Virat Kohli hoped to add 20 runs during this inning. But, he acknowledged it was a challenging goal.
Kohli continued, saying:
“You’d want to score 20 in that over. But realistically, he had bowled the best for them in that match. He bowls at 145 kmph and has a good bouncer and a yorker. You can set a target, but then reality hits you that the person in front might not let you do that very easily. I was talking to myself. I said something like, ‘Come on Cheeks, you have to hit two sixes.’.”
Virat Kohli
Rauf got off to a fantastic start, conceding just three runs in the opening four deliveries. However, Kohli stood up to the challenge, hitting a breathtaking six that was eventually declared the ICC’s shot of the century.
India regained control of the game when Kohli struck another six. After a thrilling last over from left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, Rohit Sharma and company went on to complete a historic four-wicket victory.
Giving specifics about his feelings after winning, Kohli stated:
“It was amazing! Even if I dreamt about something like this, I cannot make it any more perfect. The messages I received after the match, one constant thing people kept telling me was, ‘You don’t know what you have done.’. So when I spoke to Anushka as well the next day, she said, ‘You don’t know how much happiness you’ve given to everyone.”
Virat Kohli
You’ll see Virat Kohli again in the second T20I of the current three-game home series against Afghanistan. This game is happening at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore Sunday, January 14.